Editors sometimes have to pay a lot of money for exclusive pictures.
WhenOurWordsCollide
“Wannabuyabody?”ThatwastheopeninglineofmorethanafewphonecallsIgotfromfreelance(自由职业)photographerswhenIwasaphotoeditoratU.S.News.Likemanyinthemainstreampress,Iwantedtoseparatetheworldofphotographersinto“them”,whotradeinpictureofbodiesorchasecelebrities,and“us”,theseriousnewspeople.Butafter16yearsinthatrole.Icametowonderwhetherthetwoworldswereeasilydistinguishable.
Workinginthereputableworldofjournalism,Iassignedphotographerstocoverotherpeople’snightmares.Ijustifiedinvadingmomentsofgrief,undertheguise(借口)ofthereader‘srighttoknow.Ididn’taskphotographerstotrespass(冒犯)ortostalk(跟踪),butIdidn’thaveto:Iworkedwithpros(同行)whodidwhatothersdid:talkingtheirwayintosituationsorshootingfrombehindpolicelinestogetpicturesIwasafter.AndIwasn’talone.
Intheaftermathofacarcrashorsomeotherhideousincidentwhenordinarypeoplearehurtorkilled,yourarelyseephotographerspushingpastrescueworkerstocapturethebloodandgore(血雨腥风).Butyouarelikelytoseethelocalnewspaperandtelevisionphotographersonthescene-andfast.
Howcanwejustifyourbehavior?Journalistsaretaughttoseparatedoingthejobfromworryingabouttheconsequenceofpublishingwhattheyrecord.Repeatedly,theyareremindedofanews-businessdictum(格言):leaveyourconscienceintheoffice.Yougetthepictureofthefootage:thedecisionwhethertoprintorairitcomeslater.Avictimmayliebleeding,unconscious,ordead:yourjobistorecordtheimage.Youputawayyouremotionsanddocumentthescene.
Weactthiswaypartlybecauseweknowthatthepicturescanhaveimportantmeaning.Photographscanchangedeplorable(凄惨的)situationsbymobilizingpublicoutrageorincreasepublicunderstanding.
However,disastrouseventsoftenbringouttheworstinphotographersandphotoeditors.Inthefirstminutesandhoursafteradisasteroccurs,photoagenciesbuypictures.Oftenanagencybuysapicturefromalocalnewspaperoranamateurphotographerandputitupforbidbymajormagazines.Themostkeenlysought“exclusives”commandtensofthousandsofdollarsthroughbiddingcontests.
Manypeoplebelievethatjournalistsneedtochangethewaytheydothings,andit’sourpicturesthatannoypeoplethemost.Readersmaynotbelieve,aswedo,thatthereisadistinctionbetweensober-minded“us”andsleazy(低级庸俗的)“them”.Intoomanycases,byourchoicesofimagesaswellashowwegetthem,weproveourreadersright.
Editors sometimes have to pay a lot of money for exclusive pictures.
A.Right
B.Wrong
C.Not mentioned