Video production and the ethics of image

Video needs exciting pictures. The strongest shots are given prominence. But image and sound can be easily and subtly manipulated to distort what was said or seen.

This is problematic when making video for news and information – nothing that you shoot or say on a video or news and information should be untrue. But I’m sure you have seen many examples of manipulated, distorted or untrue images masquerading as news and information.

However, it is more often the issue of sensationalist, overly emotive or intrusive action that sullies the reputation of video news producers – the subtle actions or manipulations that sensationalise or distort the real content or meaning of a video news piece.

The media theorist Denis McQuail gives four common causes of sensationalism:

• Emphasis on action, conflict and personalities

• Selection of particular events for coverage, especially disorder or upheaval

• Labelling or stereotyping in reporting of sections of the community, like women or race

• The snowball effect where the media covers a story because the media is covering the story

The issue of particular emphasis on action, conflict and personalities especially resonates with video news because it is so easy to get emotive or affecting imagery.

So how do we avoid making unethical, sensationalist or distorted videos?

The first point is that in Australia, journalism, and the media itself is regulated by codes of practice, government regulation bodies and of course, the law.

Professional video content creators generally adhere to a code of practice pertaining to journalism, and the codes of practice required by the particular media they work for.

The union body, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance lays out the Regulations for journalists reporting the news, which you can access here:

https://www.alliance.org.au/media_alliance_code_of_ethics/

Furthermore, broadcast (television, radio and online) is actually meant to be a bit more tightly regulated than print and online counterparts.

Broadcast Journalism and the practices of the media industry are co-regulated by the industry itself, and a governmental regulatory body. This means that media organisations generally have their own code of practice and if you feel that these have been breached by unethical reporting, your first step is to complain to the organisation itself.

You’ve probably seen the advertisements telling you to write in if you feel that a TV station has breached a code of practice.

If you feel that the complaint has not been dealt with reasonably, you then go the overarching regulator. Broadcast and video journalists act under The Australian Communications and Media Authority, which is a governmental authority. They regulate Internet, Radio and TV Broadcast and mobile phone content, though it is more concerned often with access and ownership so they don’t often deal with audience complaints.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority is the Australian regulator with the scope for:

• planning the radiofrequency spectrum that radio and television services use
•  issuing and renewing licences to broadcasters
• administering commercial ownership and control rules to maintain media diversity
• regulating broadcasting content, developing program standards or licence conditions on specific issue
• supporting the development of codes of practice for the industry to ensure community safeguards

As we have already discussed the industry regulates itself and has its own codes of practice. If an audience member wants to complain they must do it through the station first and then go to the over-arching authority.

In broadcast media there is a specific code of practice for radio and the television industry. They basically say the same thing. That is:

·      The news be presented in an accurate, fair and balanced manner

·      Opinion or comments should be clearly distinguished from facts

·      The news should not be presented in such a way as to alarm the public or cause unnecessary distress

·      People who are bereaved or who have been subjected to trauma should be treated with sensitivity

·      Personal privacy should be respected unless there is a clear public interest in specific material

·      Members of particular groups should not be reported on in a negative way

·      Significant errors of fact should be corrected as soon as possible.

So ACMA actually has the right to cancel broadcast licenses if a serious enough breach has been made, but they have been known to be light-on in regulating news media.

Generally speaking, if you have a complaint about something you saw on TV, complain to the media organisation (or radio or TV station) and do not get a satisfactory response, you complain to ACMA. They might investigate the claim and then make findings.