No RAW Allowed!
“While we aim for photography of the highest aesthetic quality, our goal is not to artistically interpret the news.”
In the wake of Don McCullin’s recent comments concerning the art world and photography, I have now learned that Reuters issued a new policy last month for freelance photographers. Freelancers must now send images which were originally saved to their cameras as JPEGs – NO RAW ALLOWED!
While it is true that any image can be manipulated – including images captured on traditional film – the ease and extremity in which digital files can be manipulated, is a game changer. Freelance photographers have apparently been placing personal artistic expression above journalistic standards. Realism and minimalism are the foundations of photojournalism, social documentary, as well as street photography. Reuters apparently decided that photos processed from RAW files are more likely to have been manipulated to the point where they begin to distract away from the real subject, and possibly distort the truth.
A Reuters spokesperson has confirmed this policy change with PetaPixel, and says that the decision was made to increase both ethics and speed.
“As photojournalists working for the world’s largest international multimedia news provider, Reuters Pictures photographers work in line with our Photographer’s Handbook and the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles,” Reuters says.
“As eyewitness accounts of events covered by dedicated and responsible journalists, Reuters Pictures must reflect reality. While we aim for photography of the highest aesthetic quality, our goal is not to artistically interpret the news.” MORE…
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