Though he witnessed the entire incident, Marin said he doesn’t have an opinion one way or the other.Which makes him one of the few people anywhere who don't have an opinion about it.
“As a photojournalist I observe, capture, and let my camera and the images do the talking for me,” Marin said. “I believe people can draw their own conclusion from the video. I will say this, however. In covering other protests during my career (Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, Redwood Summer protests in Eureka, and the blockade protest at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant) I have seen much more intense situations as well as a lot less.”
What specific provisions of the Code of Ethics of the Society of Professional Journalists would apply here?
Kinkade said Marin has been a photojournalist for 35 years. He graduated from College of the Siskiyous in 1974, then transferred to San Jose State where he got a degree in broadcast journalism. He worked for an NBC affiliate in Fresno for seven years before moving to the CBS Sacramento affiliate CBS13.
Tangent (or is it really a tangent)? A few weeks ago in COMM 337, we talked about journalism ethics and the marketplace of ideas (permalink here for Nov. 15 post). And in COMM 150 we're starting to look at the Public Relations Society of America's code of ethics. Would civil disobedience - i.e. deliberately disobeying a law in an effort to get it changed - ever be justified for a public relations professional? If so, what kind of law? Under what circumstances?
8 comments:
http://macyoungsmusings.blogspot.com/
I thought you might be interested in this response to the pepper spray cop. I found it insightful.
Thanks, Mary. I Googled Marc MacYoung and learned he's a martial arts/self defense expert who's worked as a bouncer and a prison warden, among other things! All of which gives him a interesting perspective, plus a real been-there-done-that kind of authority. I'm pretty familiar with the legal issues involved, and he does a very good job of outlining them.
My own perspective is from having covered antiwar demonstrations at the Rock Island Arsenal in the 1980s. A lot of the protesters were from a Catholic Workers House, and they'd quote St. Thomas Aquinas to me ... said they were bound by "natural law" or a "higher law" instead of the statutes on obstructing traffic, trespassing, etc. But they knew they were in violating of the laws of Illinois or Iowa (whichever side of the river they were on at the moment), and they fully expected to be arrested.
They'd make their speeches about higher law in court, pay their fine and go on to planning the next protest. I don't remember tear gas ever being used on them, though. They were well trained in passive resistance techniques (a lot of what I know about Gandhi I first learned from them), and they'd just go limp when the cops came up to get them off the sidewalk and save their commentary for press availabilities later.
The Wikipedia article on Civil Disobedience at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_disobedience has a pretty good outline of what a well-trained protester is thinking. Or ought to be thinking. I agree with MacYoung that a lot of the commentary on the blogsphere isn't particularly well informed - but is it ever?
Hey I have a quick question. Does the paper have to be turned in in class tomorrow or can we just have it e-mailed to sometime tomorrow?
see you in the morning! :-)
@ Haley -
Either way is fine with me. Best to give me a hard copy *and* email a backup, but you can email me Friday and let me have the hard copy Monday.
It would take a very brave individual (disobedient) to perform wrong doings, however I do think it could be justified if it was done in hopes of a good outcome. Its hard to think of a specific situation or specific circumstances in which it could be justified, but I believe its possible.
All four would apply. He sought the truth and reported it for Channel 13 in Sacramento. By not giving an opinion he is minimizing harm (not placing blame) on any one (protesters or police). Yet he lets everyone know this is his work and no one else. Acting independently and being held Accountable.
I am not one that really thinks doing wrong is ever justifiable, however, I am open if anyone have examples. I myself cannot think of any.
I think that Dennis Marin was demonstrating 2 of the SPJ code of ethics. He was both minimizing harm for the policeman and also acting independently by not taking sides.
I think that the photojournalist did exactly what should be done in this situation. It is not his place to spread blame or support in this situation. If he was around his friends or family, that would be the time to dish his opinion. Not when asked in a professional situation. I believe that the code of ethics should always be followed (with very few exceptions).
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