Texas’s Midwestern State University is conducting a survey to see what people think about ongoing photojournalism ethics issues.
The survey (take it on Survey Monkey) consists of 36 questions about photojournalism, and warns that it “contains some graphic images.”
The first page of the survey explains: “The purpose of this research is to examine the boundaries photojournalists, and others, place on digital manipulation of images. The results will be submitted to national publications to continue the discussion.”
According to RTDNA’s website, the survey is intended to measure “opinion and day-to-day practices among working journalists” and is in response to some of the photojournalism ethics issues in the news lately, including Umar Abbasi’s controversial photo of Ki-Suck Han moments before his death on New York City subways track and questions about award-winning photos taken by Paolo Pellegrin.
Questions in the survey ask about composite photographs, acceptable levels of use of Photoshop, and publication of graphic photographs.
We’ve written to RTDNA asking how long the survey will be posted and will update with any response.
UPDATE: 7/1/2013 8:27 PM EST: Derrick Hinds from RTDNA told iMediaEthics by email that the author of the study, which is run by “Midwestern State University in Texas, as part of an ongoing cooperative effort with the National Press Photographers Association,” said the survey will run “through the end of July, and results will be published in late October as part of an academic conference.”