Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/04/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Clearly the discussion of "reporting" on events or "documenting" various conditions around us will go on; and well it should. We report and document using words, images and multimedia. None of these media will ever be "objective." The reporter or documentarian will always bring their style, point of view, wit, artistry, and individual thoughts and feelings to bear on the subject. We can only get to the "truth" and/or "accuracy" of an event or condition by experiencing the whole of it ourselves. So, unless we're willing to go "there" and experience the subject at hand, we have to rely on journalists to supply their "take" on various experiences. We trust them to point their cameras and microphones; eyes and ears; at relevant and important subjects. We trust them to quote and describe "their" experience with as much accuracy as possible. However, the accurate description of a fraction of a second, from a unique point of view, within a narrow angle of inclusion does not translate into "truth." Nor does a paragraph of description accompanied by a two sentence quote; or 20 seconds of video on the local evening news. Truth can only be experience. And I don't think it can be communicated with words, images or any combination of them. We can dance around our various versions and understandings of "truth." Oddly enough, often times fiction and other arts dance closer to our personal understanding of truth than reportage or documentary work. With all that said; outright lies, falsifications, misquotes, intentional misleadings, addition or removal of information which lie within the presented frame of reference have no place in professional reporting and/or documenting events and/or conditions. If one wishes to get potentially closer to their version (or vision) of truth through the use of artistic license they can move to fiction, poetry, sculpture, painting, and/or "photoshoping." Picasso's Guernica may speak very truthfully, even accurately, about war, even a specific war; yet it is not journalism. Regards, George Lottermoser george@imagist.com On Apr 17, 2007, at 11:02 PM, Adam Bridge wrote: > We have to ask them and > remind the photojournalists behind the lens of the need for truth and > accuracy.