Journalism: In Haiti

Watching and reading news of the disaster in Haiti this past week has left me struggling with some of the ethical issues that arise in the world of journalism. Personally, while I acknowledge each circumstance is unique, I think that it’s important for a journalist to deliver the stories of people and what’s going on in the world to the public- perhaps the support for Haiti is so great because we are able to see what’s going on through the words, pictures and video of journalists who are there. BUT I think it is also just as important, as a human being, for a journalist to help if they can in a situation where it could mean life or death for someone.

Today, Anderson Cooper, a renowned journalist currently working with CNN, was reporting from Haiti when a young boy was injured during looting in Port-au-Prince. Anderson put down his camera to pick up the boy and carry him out of immediate danger.I admire Anderson’s choice to intervene and think it only strengthens his journalistic integrity, however, some may argue that there is a line between telling the news and becoming a part of the news that journalists should not necessarily cross. There are all kinds of arguments for each side of this debate, and what follows this post is a short essay I wrote for a class on this very relevant ethical issue.

Ethics of Telling the Story:

The Canadian Association of Journalists sets out the duties of a journalist “to seek and report the truth as we understand it and serve the public interest,” while minimizing harm as much as possible. Unfortunately, these two principles often come into conflict with each other.  Journalists are often some of the first people on the scene; they work in zones of conflict and turmoil and are witness to emotional circumstances.  As a result, images of death, despair and controversy are often captured on camera, film or paper.  While it is one thing in deciding which of these images to publish and which should remain private, it is another dilemma when a journalist is on the scene and witnesses firsthand an event while recording it on camera, film or paper for the viewing of others.

In the event of a natural disaster or at the scene of a trauma, a journalist is faced with a choice: to help in any way they can to assist someone in trouble, or essentially, do their job and get the story. This is especially an issue with photojournalists and whether they should put down the camera and help in someway, or take the shot. For some journalists this may not be a difficult decision at all. Getting the story or the shot may be of more importance in some cases. For example, when the journalist does not know how they can help or if there are other trained professionals on the scene, there may not be much they can physically do to help.  Some might argue that it is the greatest responsibility of a journalist first and foremost to tell the story and inform the public.  Just as trained emergency personnel and police officers have a duty to assist and protect victims at the scene, perhaps the very role of a journalist is to take a step back from the scene, observe, record and report.

Say a journalist witnesses a man beating his wife. Should the journalist step in and attempt to stop the beating or would it be of greater value to capture this attack on camera in an effort to show the public a glimpse into domestic violence?  How much should really be asked of a journalist- they already might expose themselves to dangerous situations reporting from warzones and other locations.  Is it in the job description to risk your life attempting to save someone?

Images caught at the moment of something traumatic or shocking often illicit the greatest reaction from readers.  In the case of war and issues of social awareness, a shocking image might prompt change or protest that otherwise would not have occurred.  The image of Kim Phuc running naked from her village after a napalm bombing during the Vietnam War was so powerful it became part of the anti-war movement in the United States. Photojournalist Nick Ut, who shot the photo, acted first as a journalist by shooting the scene before commandeering a vehicle to take Phuc to the hospital.  The outcome in this case was as good as it could have been.  Phuc received medical treatment and survived the burns to her body, while her picture prompted social activism.  What would have happened had she not survived? Would the picture have had the same impact on the world? Would the reaction have been even greater? Would Ut have been criticized for standing back and to photograph the girl, arms outstretched for help and running for her life?

In the best cases, these images prompt profound reaction and create awareness; however, if readers are so disturbed by the content that they turn the page, what value do these images and stories hold and was it worth it?  What is the value of an image if viewers do not want to see it? Some news centres would prefer to censor and edit the images they release to the public.

Graphic images are at the centre of a journalistic dilemma between truth-telling while minimizing harm.  Shocking images of violence and death inevitably affect readers, and may cause some harm to the families of those depicted.  Ultimately though, these images are the truth, and in some cases, the truth may outweigh the harm few will experience.

Recently a photography student was riding the subway home in New York City when a man was stabbed on the car she was riding in.  The student, Paola Nunez Solorio, 30, captured the last moments of this mans life through her camera as he staggered through the car for help.  Nunez, though not a working photojournalist, stood back and photographed the scene. While passengers on board the subway car were surely frightened as they were trapped with both the dying man and his killer, this circumstance raises the question of whether it was ethical of Nunez to document the event, rather than assist in some way.  But really, how much could she have done? None of the other passengers assisted the man as he bled to death either. The images Nunez captured in this case are snapshots of evidence but it is hard to argue that these photos are of very much value to the greater public interest. Thus, at what point does the release of some horrific images shift from social awareness to exploitation?

Where does the responsibility of the journalist lie to society? This is the question that journalists face on the job every day.  They are forced to make a decision in fulfilling their responsibility as a journalist to tell the story or as a courageous person by trying to help a fellow human being.  Ultimately, one must decide whether information is valuable enough to the public that all other rules go out the window, and, is the end value greater than the means? It is not clear-cut as to which is the right choice and it’s likely that each circumstance warrants a different response.

It’s Friday!

Happy Friday! Here’s a little video to start your weekend off right…

TTC Throw Down

If you regularly ride the TTC you’ve probably seen the signs reading “Every day at least one TTC driver is assaulted. That’s one too many.” Today I witnessed an altercation between a TTC driver and attempted passenger after I had boarded the bus. The incident, however, took place off the bus.

A young man attempted to board the bus by flashing an id card, rather than providing payment. The driver was not fooled, however, and told him to get off the bus. The young man complied but not before grabbing a handful of transfers and shouting “f**k you.” The driver yelled and the young man threw the transfers back at him as he loudly left the bus. At this point, rather than let things go, the driver opened the lower door of the barrier that separates him from riders, shouted after the young man, “get back here f**ktard,” and got off the bus to confront him. Next, a physical fight erupted on the sidewalk beside the bus, which was still full of passengers. Three passengers got off the bus and broke up the fight but the driver was visibly upset. He called in the incident and the bus was declared “out of service.”

A TTC bus driver begins to stand up after a physical fight with the young man in the red shirt. The incident erupted after the young man attempted to board the bus without paying the $3 fare.

In a 2008 statement, TTC Chair Adam Giambrone, said

Everyday, a TTC driver is assaulted on the job. They are verbally abused. They are threatened. They are punched. They are spat on. Enough is enough. The message is clear: if you commit a crime on one of our vehicles we will catch you, arrest you, charge you, and prosecute you. Criminal acts have no place on public transit. Our employees and customers deserve to work and travel in peace. We are committed to ensuring that happens.

A 2008 article in the Toronto Star reported the rate of post-traumatic stress disorder for TTC operators to be “about four times that of police officers who patrol Toronto streets.” The abuse TTC operators endure ranges from riders spitting at them, to verbal threats, to physical assaults. How many people go to work each morning knowing that there’s a good chance someone will swear at them, spit at them, or even punch them in the face that day? Not many, and even fewer would keep returning to work day after day if this were the case.

While I in no way condone violence of any kind, I have to wonder, “why did the driver get off the bus and what did he expect would happen when he confronted the young man?” The TTC has taken (some) safety measures to protect its employees, such as shield barriers and cameras on board. So yes, if you commit a crime or assault someone on board a TTC vehicle, they can catch you and prosecute you. But if the driver leaves his subway train, streetcar, or bus, what kind of protection can the TTC offer?

Back to Sleep(deprivation)

Ahhh sleep.

My winter break is officially over. This week it’s back to class, back to work and back to an 8 p.m. bedtime. I’m only joking about the 8 p.m. bedtime- not because I don’t wish I could go to bed at that time, but rather, because there is always so much to get done. There are not-enough-hours-in-the-day it seems, which leads to sleep deprivation felt by students (like myself), single professionals, stay-at-home moms, etc. At its worst sleep deprivation can cause or contribute to depression, a weakened immune system, high blood pressure, an impaired ability to think clearly, memory loss, emotional instability, and physical impairment.

In light of this threat to our health (and sanity), Glamour editor-in-chief Cindi Leive and co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington, have teamed up for Sleep Challenge 2010. Leive and Huffington have each resolved to get a full nights sleep (about 7.5 to 8 hours) every night for the month of January and will blog about their experiences twice a week on Glamour.com and the Huffington Post.

Check out HuffPost’s Living section for more on how to sleep better in the new year.

The bystander effect

Over the holidays I came across two different articles which I found really depressing.

The first was from the New York Post on Dec. 20, 2009 by Ginger Adams Otis about a pregnant woman who had been denied help by two EMTs who were at the scene but on a break. The EMTs allegedly told staff at the coffee shop to “call 911.”  Eutisha Revee Renix, 25, was six months pregnant, and already mother to a three-year old. Both she and her unborn baby died in hospital on Dec. 9.

The second article was from the Toronto Star, Dec. 27, 2009, by Jesse McLean.  This time the person in need was a 76-year-old man. Norman Hemminger had a heart attack around 7 a.m. and collapsed on the sidewalk, steps from his home. Christine Carruthers was the only person to call for help, after witnessing more than one person deliberately avoid the distressed man. Caruthers later learned Hemninger died on the way to hospital.

I find it shocking not just that people walked by someone in need, but, more specifically, that people ignored a pregnant woman and an elderly man who clearly needed some help. Have we become so engrossed in our own lives that we can’t be bothered to take time out of our day to make a difference in someone elses? It was the holiday season, isn’t that the time of year to be especially considerate towards others! Who knows if an earlier response may have made a different in either of these cases, but it couldn’t have hurt. Carruthers said that the incident has caused her to “seriously question the humanity of people.”

Social scientists call this reluctance to help the bystander effect, whereby a greater number of witnesses creates a diffusion of responsibility and people are less likely to act on their own to assist.

The common response from bystanders is “I didn’t want to get involved.” I wonder if people have simply become so apathetic they don’t care anymore? Are we becoming immune to violence and trauma that seeing it and hearing about it no longer sparks emotion or a willingness to act?

Helen Keller wrote: “Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all – the apathy of human beings.”

2009: My review of the past year

Today being New Year’s Day, I wanted to do a summary of the top news events of the past year. 

1. The Economy – I think it’s safe to say the economic recession was one of the defining events of 2009.  The year was off to a rough start with an unsettling number of layoffs, the downfall of the automobile industry, numerous home foreclosures and a debatable stimulus plan. 

2. 50th Anniversary of the Revolution– On January 1, Cuba celebrated its 50th year since Fidel Castro’s 1959 Revolution. 

Portrait of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara in Havana's Revolutionary Square

3. Miracle on the Hudson– Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger became a hero on January 15th after the U.S. Airways jetliner he was flying hit a flock of birds, forcing an emergency landing on New York’s Hudson River. 

4. Blagojevich– Gov. Rod Blagojevich was ejected from office after he attempted to auction off Barack Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat. 

5. Octomom– Nadya Suleman gave birth to octuplets. When the world learned she already had six other children at home, also conceived by in-vitro fertilization, the ethical debates began. 

6. 44th Presidential Inauguration– A monumental moment as Barack Obama was sworn in as the first African American President of the U.S. 

7. Afghanistan– The responsibility of the war in Afghanistan passed from the Bush Administration to U.S. President Barack Obama, as the current president ordered 30,000 more troops.  Also, Afghanistan’s election was postponed to August and results revealed current President Hamid Karzai would remain in power.

8. Pakistan– President Obama unveiled a new war strategy to defeat Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda in Pakistan.

9. Chris Brown vs. Rihanna– Less than 24 hours before the couple were supposed to attend the Grammys, a domestic dispute between Chris Brown and Robin ‘Rihanna’ Fenty resulted in Brown’s arrest and a leaked police photo of Rihanna’s injuries after the alleged assault.

10. Susan Boyle– Susan Boyle, a 47 year old single woman from Scotland, became a youtube sensation after appearing on Britain’s Got Talent singing ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ from Les Miserables.

11. H1N1– Fears regarding Swine Flu surfaced after it appeared to be spreading in the spring of 2009 and continued to the end of the year as more and more cases were being reported. Edgar Hernandez, a 5 year old from Mexico, was the first case of H1N1, known as ‘patient zero.’

12. Sri Lankan Tamils– Sri Lankan Tamils forced to relocate due to the civil war protested the treatment of civilians during the Sri Lankan government’s war against Tamil Tiger rebels.

13. Gay Marriage– California’s ban on gay marriage was upheld after Prop 8 was passed last year.

14. Mark Sanford– South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s affair with a woman in Argentina was exposed, prompting his wife, Jenny Sanford, to file for divorce.

15. Jon and Kate Gosselin– Jon and Kate of TLC’s Jon and Kate Plus 8, announced their separation and subsequent divorce this year, which led to a media frenzy around the family for months. TLC later announced the show would not continue.

16. Iran’s Election– Violent protests broke out in Iran after election results revealed the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Social sites like Twitter and youtube proved their worth, after civilians used the networking sites to convey the violence in Iran post-election and posted video of Neda Agha-Soltan’s death.

17. Michael Jackson’s death– The King of Pop’s death at age 50 devastated fans of Michael Jackson around the world. Perhaps even more devastating was his father, Joe Jackson’s behaviour afterwards.

18. Billings’ Murder– Byrd and Melanie Billings were the parents of 16 children, 12 of whom were adopted and had various disabilities including autism and Down syndrome.  The generous couple were shot to death during a home-invasion while nine of their children were in the home.

19. Jaycee Dugard– Jaycee Dugard returned home this year after being abducted 18 years earlier at the age of 11.

20. Edward Kennedy dies– U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy died after battling brain cancer for a year. He was the last living borther of the Kennedy political dynasty.

21. Balloon Boy– Six year old Falcon Heene was thought to have been in an airborne homemade helium balloon but was later found hiding in his home. The incident was revealed to be a hoax orchestrated by Falcon’s parents, who were eventually sentenced to do prison time.

22. Fort Hood Massacre– Major Nidal Hasan unleashed a massive gunfire attack on his own Fort Hood, Texas army base, killing 13 people and wounding countless others.

23. UN Climate Summit– Climate talks in Copenhagen at the UN Climate conference were hardly ideal as world leaders struggled to come to an agreement.

24. Tiger Woods– After a car accident and rumours of an altercation between Tiger Woods and his wife Elin, numerous alleged mistresses came forward, and Woods released a statement apologizing for his “transgressions.” Woods’ reputation has since taken a hit, and his actions have led several sponsors to drop him.

25. Health Care Reform– President Obama’s Health Care Reform proposal was passed in the Senate.