RE: [Leica] Street photography

["B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>]

Bob - I'm not saying that there aren't examples of journalists
misrepresenting themselves. And I don't know, by the way, that I would
classify traveling with a tourist visa in that category. Traveling with a
tourist visa is simply failing to wear a signboard reading journalist. The
question arises when one is asked, "are you a journalist?" If, at that
point, you say, "no, I'm a Leica collector on vacation," I and many
journalists would have a real problem with the misrepresentation. And I can
tell you from personal experience at The Washington Post and Newsday that
all journalists, investigative or otherwise, were always told never to
misrepresent themselves. They were not told, however, that they had to
advertise themselves. :-)

B. D.

> --s--Original Message-----
> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Bob Walkden
> Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2000 6:00 PM
> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject: RE: [Leica] Street photography
>
>
> Hi,
>
> journalists, particularly investigative journalists, but also the gutter
> press, misrepresent themselves a lot, in any situation it which it serves
> their purposes. I can probably find any number of examples where a
> journalist or photographer has travelled into a country on a
> tourist visa,
> for instance, and operated essentially as a tourist, in a spot
> where things
> are difficult for people travelling as journalists. I personally know
> several journalists who've done this.
>
> As you say, sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. So I see
> no ethical
> or moral difficulty if civilians choose to represent themselves as
> journalists in situation where it serves their purpose. I've done
> it myself
> on several occasions where it gets me out of difficulties. People
> frequently
> just don't understand what motivates somebody to take certain
> types of photo
> in certain situations, and after the 3rd or so time on the same day of
> trying to explain to people what you're doing it becomes wearing and
> time-wasting. Easiest to take the line of least resistance.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Bob
>
>
> >From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
> >Reply-To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> >To: <leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>
> >Subject: RE: [Leica] Street photography
> >Date: Tue, 1 Aug 2000 16:21:37 -0400
> >
> >  This thread raises some fairly interesting ethical questions -
> i.e., any
> >journalist working for a publication of any repute is told to never
> >misrepresent him or herself - if someone asks if you are a reporter, you
> >acknowledge that you are - and if they ask the name of your publication,
> >you
> >provide it. Why shouldn't the same rule apply the other way - if some one
> >asks who you're taking photos for, you say you're taking them
> for yourself.
> >An SP shouldn't pose as a journalist any more than a journalist
> should pose
> >as an SP, or a demonstrator, or a tourist, etc.
> >
> >B. D.
> > >
> >
>
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