The ethics of photojournalism in Lithuania: views of the news photographers

Digital manipulation in photojournalism is the subject of on­going debate. At the heart of the controversy over what is and what is not an acceptable alteration of a photograph is the often tenuous relationship between the reality and the captured image. Digital photography has com­plicated the situation because alterations are easier to accomplish and more difficult to detect. However, there is no consensus among the visual journalists about what comprises ethical image-making. This study examines some of the challenges faced by photojournalists in Lithuania, where news pho­tography was hampered by decades of the Soviet occupation. A question­naire of Lithuanian Press Photo Club members and two focus groups of photojournalists showed broad agreement about the acceptable alterations of the photographic image and other ethical norms but revealed a dearth of professional empowerment to put norms into practice. Photojournalists see themselves less as journalists and more as providers of a service to me­dia organizations. Agreement about the need to regulate the professional ethics was accompanied by denials that photojournalists can take a personal responsibility for their work.