tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13520324.post9202259283206522757..comments2024-03-21T13:15:26.838-04:00Comments on The Rural Blog: West Virginia newspaper cites policy in removing incumbent legislators from bill-signing photoMelissa Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01558431327921705882noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13520324.post-59008741966061774442010-05-24T12:07:36.076-04:002010-05-24T12:07:36.076-04:00One solution would be to stop publishing silly pho...One solution would be to stop publishing silly photos such as document signing and check passing.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06839719663650047625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13520324.post-37649644195725182362010-05-19T16:24:22.831-04:002010-05-19T16:24:22.831-04:00The following comment is from Kevin Z. Smith, who ...The following comment is from Kevin Z. Smith, who could not post it himself because of a technical problem. --AC<br /><br />In an attempt to appear fair the Dominion Post violated a very basic tenet of photojournalism -- manipulating a news photo that creates an alterted truth. This is lying to the readers. Labeling it a photo illustration is a weak attempt to skirt the greater issue here and that is the conveance of honesty in journalism.<br /> <br />The solution here was simple. Run the story and not the photo. This is a standard political photo of a bill signing that could have been justified as having a "story only" value. Would it have been appropriate for a reporter covering this event to say the West Virginia delegates were not in attendance? Of course not. That would be lying. The decision to run this altered photo shows to me deliberate forethought and an complete disgreard for presenting this story in a truthful, ethical manner to the paper's readers. <br /> <br />As the President of the Society of Professional Journalists and a former employee of this newspaper I find these actions to be unethical and inexcusable. I suggest a closer review of the SPJ code and perhaps ethics training for the staff and editor who authorized this.<br /> <br />Kevin Z. SmithAl Crosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12359789093150390148noreply@blogger.com