Preamble
The National Press Photographers Association, a professional society that promotes the highest standards in
photojournalism, acknowledges concern for every person’s need both to be fully informed about public events and to be
recognized as part of the world in which we live.
Photojournalists operate as trustees of the public. Our primary role is to report visually on the significant events and on the
varied viewpoints in our common world. Our primary goal is the faithful and comprehensive depiction of the subject at
hand. As photojournalists, we have the responsibility to document society and to preserve its history through images.
Photographic and video images can reveal great truths, expose wrongdoing and neglect, inspire hope and understanding
and connect people around the globe through the language of visual understanding. Photographs can also cause great
harm if they are callously intrusive or are manipulated.
This code is intended to promote the highest quality in all forms of photojournalism and to strengthen public confidence
in the profession. It is also meant to serve as an educational tool both for those who practice and for those who appreciate
photojournalism. To that end, The National Press Photographers Association sets forth the following Code of Ethics:
Code of Ethics
Photojournalists and those who manage visual news productions are accountable for upholding the following standards in
their daily work:
1) Be accurate and comprehensive in the representation of subjects.
2) Resist being manipulated by staged photo opportunities.
3) Be complete and provide context when photographing or recording subjects. Avoid stereotyping individuals and
groups. Recognize and work to avoid presenting one’s own biases in the work.
4) Treat all subjects with respect and dignity. Give special consideration to vulnerable subjects and compassion
to victims of crime or tragedy. Intrude on private moments of grief only when the public has an overriding and
justifiable need to see.
5) While photographing subjects do not intentionally contribute to, alter, or seek to alter or influence events.
6) Editing should maintain the integrity of the photographic images’ content and context. Do not manipulate
images or add or alter sound in any way that can mislead viewers or misrepresent subjects.
7) Do not pay sources or subjects or reward them materially for information or participation.
8) Do not accept gifts, favors, or compensation from those who might seek to influence coverage.
9) Do not intentionally sabotage the efforts of other journalists.
Ideally, photojournalists should:
1) Strive to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in public. Defend the rights of access for all journalists.
2) Think proactively, as a student of psychology, sociology, politics and art to develop a unique vision and
presentation. Work with a voracious appetite for current events and contemporary visual media.
3) Strive for total and unrestricted access to subjects, recommend alternatives to shallow or rushed opportunities,
seek a diversity of viewpoints, and work to show unpopular or unnoticed points of view.
4) Avoid political, civic and business involvements or other employment that compromise or give the appearance of
compromising one’s own journalistic independence.
5) Strive to be unobtrusive and humble in dealing with subjects.
6) Respect the integrity of the photographic moment.
7) Strive by example and influence to maintain the spirit and high standards expressed in this code. When
confronted with situations in which the proper action is not clear, seek the counsel of those who exhibit the
highest standards of the profession. Photojournalists should continuously study their craft and the ethics that
guide it.