Photos of dead bodies: Images of the bodies of a man and his daughter drowned in the Rio Grande are examples of journalists showing a truth the public would prefer not to see, writes Kelly McBride.
“Don’t exploit horrific photos without a journalistic purpose,” she advises. “But don’t hide them or place too many barriers in front of them, lest you duck your most important job.”
Using a 2005 photo of a young woman posing in a British strip club was not an invasion of privacy, ruled the Independent Press Standards Organization.
Sydney Smith writes that IPSO found a news outlet may consider a voluntary action in the past fair game in the future.
The newspaper volunteered to take down the photo as a goodwill gesture and said it “understood that when one is young, one can make choices which are later regretted.”
Ethics AdviceLine for Journalists 