I have been watching events unfold in Haiti through two personal lenses: the lens of a photojournalist and the lens of a search and rescue dog handler. I have been to (much smaller) disasters as both--but not at the same time.
I have experienced having to photograph the anguish in another human's face as they realize they have lost everything and sometimes even loved ones. I can't help them except to document their plight and show it to the world.
I have also been to the scene of a flood or tornado in search of missing loved ones. Using the powerful nose of my dog, we locate their bodies--or if we are very lucky--we find them still alive.
When I'm working as a photojournalist, I am outside the police lines. I photograph the rescue workers from afar and interview the survivors. When I'm working as a search and rescue team member, I'm inside the yellow tape, trying to ignore the cameras and concentrating on the important work of finding the missing.
Never once have I taken advantage of my situation and snuck a picture for the newspaper while searching with my dog.
So now you may understand my discomfort when I see this trend on the network news channels where their doctor/reporters seem to have a foot firmly planted on each side of the yellow tape as they minister to the injured and report on their own work at the same time. What happened to good old journalistic ethics?
There is a great story on this subject by Gary Schwitzer, an associate professor in the University of Minnesota School of Journalism & mass Communication, at MinnPost.com. In it he talks about teaching his students about an ethics tool called "the Potter Box, named after Ralph Potter, an emeritus professor of social ethics at Harvard Divinity School. The box has four quadrants, labeled Facts, Loyalties, Values and Principles."
Check it out, it's an interesting read.




