Editorial: Why Newspapers Photograph Death

March 15--Ethics in news photography have come a long way since the 1930s, when police sometimes invited photojournalists into crime scenes to take pictures of the deceased.

These days, photographers rarely have that kind of access, and reputable newspapers long ago stopped publishing sensational gruesome photos just to sell papers.

But images of dead people sometimes still make the news, as they should. It happened Tuesday in the Times-News.

Bryan Turner, 32, traveled to Twin Falls from New York City to BASE jump off the Perrine Bridge. He jumped about noon Monday. Witnesses said the chute never opened.

In the eight-paragraph story about the incident, four of the paragraphs described efforts by fellow BASE jumpers and paramedics to save his life. Nearby kayakers who pulled Turner from the river performed CPR until professional rescuers arrived. Paramedics took over and continued to administer CPR for 30 minutes before Turner was flown out of the canyon in a medical helicopter. Even then, paramedics were still administering oxygen and an IV.

To me, the story and photos we published weren't so much about Turner's death but the incredible attempt to save his life.

Still, I wasn't surprised to see readers complain when we posted photos at Magicvalley.com.

One reader insisted we pull the images from the website. Another called us "tacky and insensitive."

It's up to you to determine whether the photographs were distasteful -- we all have different sensibilities when it comes to gauging offensiveness. But our approach in publishing them was far from insensitive.

Chief photographer Drew Nash took about 100 photographs at the bridge that day. He reviewed every single one and narrowed them to 40 images that were edited. Ultimately, we published two in print and 12 online.

Editors and photographers work together to select the images that best tell the story. In this case, it would have been impossible to tell the truth of what happened at the canyon without including Turner in the photos.

Yet Nash's photojournalism was far from macabre. There were no close-ups of Turner. Rather, Nash's photography told the story of the rescue. All told, the published images were reviewed by three editors, including me. When one reader called for us to pull the photos, we reviewed them again and I asked Publisher Travis Quast for his opinion.

In the end, we all agreed publishing the photos was necessary. They told the story, they told the truth, and not in a way that exploited Turner or sensationalized a tragedy.

We make no guarantees that every image or story in the Times-News will make you feel good. Our job is to report what happened, and sometimes the truth is painful, even haunting.

In a previous newspaper gig, I once wrote a similar column about why we published unsettling photos, images of a fatal car crash in that case. I'll end this piece the same way: Our hearts go out to the deceased's family and friends. I hope that after seeing our photography, yours do too.

Christensen is editor of the Times-News. Reach him at 208-735-3255 and mchristensen@magicvalley.com.

Copyright 2015 - The Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho