Photojournalism: Photography and Imaging Technologies

Photojournalism has long been considered to have a tradition of reflecting the truth. It has been a major element in newspaper and magazine reporting since the early 20th century. It was probably only about a century ago when people believed that what they saw in photographs was factual. This impact of visual image as seen by the viewer was based on the old belief that "the camera never lies". Wheeler says that photojournalism has "acquired a special standing in the public mind, a confidence that photo can reflect reality in a uniquely compelling and credible way." (Wheeler T, 2002, p. 3) This acquisition is formed by a creation of a powerful picture, which is the combination of both truthfulness and visual impact. "In general, photojournalism is defined as a descriptive term for reporting visual information through various media such as newspapers and magazines." (Newton J, 2001, p. 3) The mid-20th century saw the rise in photojournalism. As Wheeler (Wheeler T, 2002, p. 3) mentioned, "by World War II, America had become a certifiably visual, predominantly photographic culture."

Photography is a form of visual representation of events to the public. It is traditionally defined as ‘writing with light'. Photography was more than factual recording of truthful observation. It could be an expression of emotional reaction to life. Although photography has always been thought of as the capturing and the reflection of truth, the discussion of ‘manipulated photography' is often brought up. However, before any debate of manipulated photography, one must begin with the "recognition that photography itself is an inherent manipulation." (Wheeler T, 2002) Ever since its beginnings, photography is subjective, it is not absolute reality and it is not entirely truthful.
The subjectivity of photojournalism is based on various reasons that are often overlooked by many. Photos are just recorded information and how it is presented is actually based on individual interpretation