From M/Cyclopedia of New Media
- Topic Brief: Digital manipulation is a phenomenon of this new media society. The ethics of image manipulation in particular are undefined, and the line between spin and reality is drawn by those with the technology.
- Charles Stuart University. 1999. The Ethics/Skills Interface in Image Manipulation.
- http://www.csu.edu.au/OZCHI99/full_papers/webber.rtf (accessed August 7, 2004)
- This is a report concerning the progression of image manipulation and the philosophical foundations of image ethics. The 19th century presented photography as an artistic and technical work, but since the drastic growth of communications in the early 1990’s, technologies such as satellites, the internet and virtual reality have seen photographs and images seamlessly modified to produce new and morally questionable representations. This report provides a broad scope of examples both historically and politically, as well as crossing magazine and legal mediums. The moral dilemmas provoked by new media technologies has called for the establishment of a specific digital ethics code to implement an effective protocol in the industry. There has been adaptations of philosophical theories, such as Utilatarianism, applied to image construction and presentation, but the developing world of technology requires a particular system to contend with issues of privacy, rights and standards which concern both business and publics alike.
- Coats, W.S., Ramsey, G. 2000. Fair, accurate, and true? Authenticating evidence in the age of digital manipulation. The Practical Litigator Journal, 11 (1), 31-37. (accessed August 10, 2004, from Proquest:Accounting and Tax Periodicals database), ISBN 10476261
- This journal is a legal perspective of the influence of digital media in today’s technology driven society. It investigates how traditional media evidence – audio, video and photographic – is authenticated, and how digital manipulation challenges these methods and provides opportunity for exploitation. Digital manipulation is seen as ‘easy to do, hard to detect.’ This article explains how and why traditional methods of substantiation do not sufficiently allow for the detectability of falsification. The impact of digital technology causes uncertainty regarding the accuracy of media use for legal matters and the understanding of its potential misuse.
- Conklin, W. 2001. The Illusion of diversity: When ethics, technology and diversity clash. Diversity Factor Journal, 9 (2), 5-10. (accessed August 10, 2004, from Proquest:ABI/INFORM Global database), ISBN 10677194
- This entry from the Illusion of diversity journal explores the struggle between qenuine diversity objectives and public image, and how this pressure of consumerism encourages corporations and news media to stretch the truth in imagery. The potential for skewing our perception and attitudes by the altering of reality is attribute to the rapid progressions in media technologies. Access to technology is the ultimate tool, making the responsibility of manufactured images unclear. Topics investigated incorporate the power of imagery to promote social change, the effects on advertising and communication as well as considerations of the deeper ramifications of misleading the public, directed at News Media.
- Digital Custom. 2003. Model Ethics Guidelines http://www.digitalcustom.com/howto/mediaguidelines.asp (accessed August 13, 2004)
- This detailed set of guidelines is designed to assist media and journalist professionals develop personal and business principles which to abide by when altering work digitally. It fine points acceptable and impermissable actions of manipulation when working with images, as well as enhancing techniques.
- Ehrlich, M.C., Gladney, G.A. 1996. Cross-media to digital manipulation of still and moving images. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media. 40 (4) 496-508. (accessed August 11, 2004, from Proquest:Telecommunications database), ISBN 08838151
- This is a cross-media analysis of the two prime perpetrators of image manipulation – newspaper photography editors and television news editors. Questioned through survey data is the tolerance and ethical judgement of digital image processing and enhancement technology. Detailed results include large percentages of broadcasting companies acknowledging the use of digitized videotape and pixel manipulation, while the principles of image cropping and colour alteration are disputed. Both television and newspaper experience pressure to succumb to entertainment and popularity values, and ethics are often somewhat compromised to meet a desirable outcome.
- Liestol, G., Morrison, A., Rasmussen, T. 2003. Digital Media Revisited:Theoretical and Conceptual Innovation in Digital Domains. Massachusetts:The MIT Press,
- ISBN 0-262-12256-1
- Digital Media Revisited is a collaboration from a multiplicity of views about the social, cultural and educational transformations related to digital media. The book discusses theoretical and conceptual reconfiguration and innovation in the wake of digital developments and convergences, and communication changes. Important topics covered include the contradiction between the medium of theory and medium of practice, whilst Part 2 specifically explores the truth and illusion of digital media arts and the boundaries which have been dissolved in the sphere of manipulation. Part 4 on Social Theory and Ethics, draws from philosophical and sociological influence and provides several arguments all leading to the construction of new media theories and concepts of valuation that are more fittingly adequate to a technologically mediated world.
- Lister, M. 1995. The Photographic Image in Digital Culture. New York:Routledge,
- ISBN 0-415-12157-4
- The Photographic Image in Digital Culture discusses the effects which the developing industry of digital technology has had on the construction of art and the photographic image. The issues explored cover a broad scale of mediums. Manipulation designed software is questioned and its intention to facilitate change and alteration to great extents, while analysis is also provided into the relevance of body, surveillance and pornography in digital culture. The concept of the ‘digital future’ and photography’s status within new media shows the rise that is the digital phenomenon.
- The Media Centre–American Press Institute. 2004. Cyber Journalist.Net. http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/000147.php(accessed August 5, 2004)
- Cyber Journalist is a site about the changes occurring in journalism as a result of media convergence, the internet and other advances in new media technology. Features of the site include news media headlines, research links and reviews of online journalism. Some 'in depth' resources available direct from the site are ethics and credibility, design and usability, as well as many other education, technology and weblog links. One particular aim of the site is to provide recognition to journalists producing work of high ethical standards and how to take advantage of the internet in producing quality works. Interactive comment pages are accessible, which readers are encouraged to leave contributions and comments.
- Photojournalism-An Ethical Approach. 1999. Photojournalism:An ethical approach. http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/lester/writings/pjethics.html (accessed August 9, 2004)
- This work is an online digital adaptation of the original text book. An Ethical Approach looks into all the moral factors surrounding the practice of photojournalism. Chapter six–Picture Manipulations–bears the most relevance to the particular topic being researched as it provides numerous examples of photographers crossing the line in the presentation of altered images. The focus on credibility and responsibility has lead to arguments that computer technology, when applied to images, needs to be either absolute or relaxed. The editorial debate presented, revolves around the intent of achieving maximum impact through manipulation, but at what point does the audience need to be aware of the extent of fabrication which has taken place? Also included in the Appendices is the National Press Photographers Associations guidelines for ethical conduct which applies to all forms of photojournalism.
Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Centre. 2002. Digital Imaging:Ethics
http://swehsc.pharmacy.arizona.edu/exppath/resources/pdf/Digital_Imaging_Ethics.pdf (accessed August 12, 2004).
- This ethics article is an introduction to manipulated imagery and data within the science field. The desire for digital has overtaken the traditional darkroom operations, because of its tidy results and accessability. Offered in this brief essay are observations and suggestions in the format of digital manipulation guidelines, concerning cloning, compression, filters and other techniques applied to scientific images. Included on this site are several links to relative photographic and image processing sites, as well as Adobe Photoshop program examples.
Millie York 11:09, 13 Aug 2004 (EST)
