Journalism at Bucks County Community College

Examine this photo of a young Syrian boy who drowned when his family tried to flee their war-torn country for Europe, and read the background story on it below.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/02/shocking-image-of-drowned-syrian-boy-shows-tragic-plight-of-refugees

Then examine the cover of the New York Daily News below, which used photos from the shooting of a Virginia TV news crew. Read the background story below the photo.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/shot-live-tv-news-broadcast-virginia-article-1.2337586

Then review this interview with photo editor Kenneth Irby on when graphic photos should be published:

http://faculty.bucks.edu/rogerst/jourkenirbyinterview.htm

Finally, review the code of ethics linked below from the Society of Professional Journalists, an organization dedicated to promoting and defending the First Amendment and to encouraging ethical behavior in journalism.

Code of ethics: https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

Now imagine that you are the editor of your local newspaper. In an essay of at least 300 words, explain whether you would have published the photos in question for each of these stories. If you decide to publish the photo for one story but not the other, explain why your decision was different. In your essay, be sure to refer to both the interview with Kenneth Irby and the SPJ Code of Ethics to justify your decision. Your grade will depend on how you explain and justify your decisions.