Photo manipulation in Photojournalism

Photojournalism is supposed to record images of current events and news.  Photojournalism is different from other forms of photography because it is supposed to ethical and honest to broadcast trustworthy news.  While digital photography has made photography easier and faster but also allows for easier manipulation.   Photo manipulation was possible with film too, but it was not as easy as it is today.  With editing and photoshop the entire image and its subjects can be completely altered, deleted or added.  It is hard to believe anything in the news or magazines because anything can be altered.  

 Here is a photograph that was edited in comparison to the original.  The child looks dirtier and their eyes are more piercing. The edited image on the right is meant to grab your attention more, my eyes are constantly pulled to the edited photo.  The contrast in the eyes make them glow  and stand out.  The editing makes the images more interesting to look at but they are trying to manipulate the audiences reaction and create a bigger impact. This is unethical because it is altering the truth of the story.

Photojournalism can be manipulated through photoshop and editing the pictures.  But it can also be manipulated by the photographer.  Here is an photograph by Beato “Interior of Fort McKee”  taken in 1871 in Korea.  Here Beato arranged the corpses on the battlefield in order to magnify the massacre and make it seem like there where hundreds of bodies covering the ground.