I’m currently in a documentary class, and one of the topics we touched on in that class was conflict journalism. This is where a photographer or journalist goes to dangerous areas (often war zones) around the world and tells the stories of the people or events there. One journalist that came to talk to our class was Eros Hoagland, a photographer and one of the journalists involved in the HBO show “Witness”. The man in the photo was shot in his car, and ended up dying from his wounds. In the episode “Witness: Juarez” Hoagland talks about that photo and how he can remember the man crying out for help, with police surrounding him, and yet no one moved. One thing that many conflict journalists face is this idea of separating themselves from the story that is happening. Journalists are there to tell the stories of the people, however, should it be considered criminal for not helping out a dying man? Or is it just a question of morality?
