While there was plenty going on in New Rochelle this week with the primary elections and what not but the biggest topic of discussion on Talk of the Sound was certainly the controversy over a photo of a man who died after his motorcycle collided with a car on Fifth Avenue near City Park in New Rochelle. While similar photos and videos in the past elicited no response, those opposed to the publication of a photo -- the man being treated by paramedics in which his identify was not disclosed -- have organized a Facebook page dedicated to shutting down Talk of the Sound and a boycott of the site.

We will be taking your calls and discussing the ethics involved in publishing photos of victims of violence. I am trying to get an expert to come on the show. In the meantime, we will be using a book by Paul Martin Lester as a jumping off point for the discussion, with a focus on the following chapter:

Photojournalism An Ethical Approach: Chapter Four, Victims of Violence by Paul Martin Lester

Lester concludes the chapter by noting "readers are more likely to object to a controversial picture if:

* it was taken by a staff photographer,
* it comes from a local story,
* the image is printed in color,
* the image is printed in a morning paper,
* the image is printed on the front page,
* it has no story accompaniment,
* it shows people overcome with grief,
* it shows the victim's body,
* the body is physically traumatized,
* the victim is a child, and
* nudity is involved.

Lester says if "five or more of these conditions apply, editors should prepare themselves for reader reactions before the firestorm hits."

The chapter concludes:

A photojournalist's mission is to report all the news objectively, fairly, and accurately. The profession can only improve in quality and stature if photographers are mindful of those they see in their viewfinders and those they seldom see, their readers. Decisions, however, should be guided, never ruled, by readers.

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