How Much PhotoShop is Too Much?

BARACK OBAMA AND MITT ROMNEY did not have an actual fight and chances are, they've never looked as bruised and battered as they did on this recent cover of New York magazine.

Is it wrong to represent them in this way?

Clearly, it is a photo manipulation. But are they taking too many liberties with the truth? Should a media outlet manufacture an image to represent the emotion of a story? Or should they rely upon reality, even though it may not appear as visually striking?

Would you publish the PhotoShopped image?

Open Marriages and Noisy Audiences?

TO OPEN THE GOP presidential debate over the weekend, CNN's John King asked Newt Gingrich about the allegations by his former wife regarding Gingrich's request for an "open marriage."

Is that an appropriate question to ask? Is that good journalism?

The audience went wild with Gingrich's response. During the next GOP presidential debate, the studio audience was asked to remain silent during the event. The rationale was that the audience would act like a laugh track, telling the viewing audience when to laugh, cry, smile, boo, etc.

Should the audience be allowed to react? Or would that influence the home audience?

Baby Photos For Sale!

JESSICA ALBA SAYS that celebrity couples who sire a child should sell the rights to the first images of the child to the highest bidder.

Rather than deal with paparrazi stalking her, Alba sold the rights to the first pictures of her baby to OK magazine for a reported $1.5 million.

Think about this from the journalism angle - is it acceptable for the media to buy the rights to the images? Is it ethical?

If it is acceptable to pay for these images, where should the media draw the line? Should the media start paying for access to celebrities? For interviews? For other information?

Does paying for information/ images/ access change your perception of the story?

Should a Newspaper Run a Photo of a Dead Man?

A TEENAGER ON her way to school in Connecticut saw this man, dead on the street. So she snapped a photo, which the local newspaper obtained.

Is it acceptable for the newspaper to run a photo of a dead man on the sidewalk like this? It is a rare sight - most of the time, the police or other emergency crews cover bodies so the public does not see victim (and to preserve the privacy of the victim and his/ her family).

The editor of the paper argued that it was important to run the photograph:

While publishing this photo may make some people uncomfortable, it is an undeniably powerful representation of the spate of tragedy the city is enduring. Ultimately, what’s unacceptably uncomfortable is schoolchildren having to walk past homicide victims.

What do you think?

Principle of Journalism: It Must Provide a Forum for Public Criticism and Compromise.

Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel wrote a book called The Elements of Journalism in which they outlined the principles of journalism. One of the principles they offered was "the news media are the common carriers of public discussion."

Not sure the above video is what they had in mind.

A reporter doing a live shot warned people to be careful as the icy conditions on a hill where people were sledding had become worse. Apparently, the police evacuated the hill, stopping people from sledding there. So one of the sledders shared her thoughts during the live shot.

Did the reporter over-step her role? Or is the sledder over-reacting?

Give It Up For Me!

A reporter on the morning news in Toledo, Ohio actually pole-danced during a live broadcast.

Is this journalism?