Google Carter's Famous Photograph Taken In Sudan. After Viewing the Photo and Reading Carter's Story in the Article, Do You Believe Carter Right or Wrong in Taking His Famous Picture? Provide Specific Points from the Reading That Support Your Opinions
Images that depict human sufferings like deaths, war, famine floods cultivate emotional affinity, and correspondence. Photojournalism is an excellent way to display these problems to raise awareness that they exist in reality, but this is not enough. The essence of images taken is to act on the challenges humanity experience to bring some goodness into the world. Images may pose the question of decency and ethicality, which further probe the photographer's moral obligation. Some photographic media may be purposed for pleasure when viewers consume them, but some have a more significant visual impact with psychological and emotional influence ( Silva & Eldridge, 2020) . The famous photo which Kevin Carter, the late South African photojournalist, took while in Sudan when the country had a famine in 1993 is one of the many controversial images. The photograph depicts a malnourished little girl kneeling over on the ground and a preying vulture behind her. The disturbing photo with the girl's reality is what brought the tension in the picture. In this instant, the photographer's morality, professionalism, and the need to disclose the image are questioned. Photographs capture the moment as it is, and they are meant to pass a specific message derived from a particular context.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
I believe Carter was right for taking the photo, majorly because it highlighted the severity of the famine situation in Sudan. Through the image, the world got to know Sudan's predicaments, and people had to react to the situation prompting various humanitarian acts ( MacLeod, 1994). However, the conflicting scenarios, in this case, are the societal obligation for individuals in distressed situations and the cost of not taking immediate action towards the weak and vulnerable. Even on the verge of creating awareness, the inner consciousness should influence whether or not one should take the snapshot. When taking images that pose a moral dilemma, the photographers have the moral obligation to ensure the subject interests come first. In the article, Carter admitted that it arouses one's conscious mind after covering such stories when he asserted that something inside him was screaming ( MacLeod, 1994). The choice solely is on the photographer and duty towards their subject. Carter had a moral obligation to ensure that the girl was safe and look after her well-being to balance his responsibility as a photojournalist and a conscious human.
What Do You Think is the Significance of this Dilemma Regarding the Tension Between Personal and Professional Responsibilities? How Does This Tension Between the Individual and the Professional Relationship to a Career in Law Enforcement?
The ethical dilemma surrounding professionalism and personal responsibility is that Carter needed to act in both capacities. Carter had to perform his duty of raising awareness of the Sudanese situation and, at the same time, provide immediate aid to the little girl who visibly needed someone to come to her rescue. In this case, Carter needed to look for help for the girl and ensure that she reached the feeding center safely. After taking the photo, he would have followed up on the girl to assure that there is still goodness in humanity, even after facing calamities. Like in Carter's case, the tension between personal and professional responsibility also exists in law enforcement careers. In scenarios where the need to serve the public surpasses one's interests. Police officers are a public figure and representative of law enforcement, so when off duty, police officers face the ethical dilemma of maintaining a high level of integrity and observance of the law at all times. This scenario regularly places the police officers on a tight spot about personal morals and professionalism, so those who disrespect the law are placed in the limelight. Another aspect that can arouse conflicting notions is when the rules or policies and procedures contradict the law enforcer's viewpoint. Ethical issues law enforcement officers may hinder their ability to uphold office oaths when they are contradictory to their beliefs. They may be forced to act on the state's best interest rather than the individual outlook.
References
MacLeod, Scott (1994). The life and death of Kevin Carter. Time, 144 (11), 70.
Silva, M. F. S., & Eldridge II, S. A. (2020). The Ethics of Photojournalism in the Digital Age. Routledge.
