Avendo come principale riferimento la pratica giornalistica che si è andata consolidando nel corso degli ultimi settant’anni negli Stati Uniti, il fotogiornalismo internazionale ha come suo principale codice deontologico quello elaborato dalla NPPA (National Press Photographers Association), che riportiamo integralmente nella sua versione originale e di cui forniamo anche una traduzione.

NPPA Board Adopts New "Modernized" Code of Ethics
ST. PETERSBURG, FL (July 10, 2004) – The Board of Directors of the National Press Photographers Association, Inc., today unanimously adopted an updated Code of Ethics for the organization and its members during the final day of their meeting at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, FL. The new Code of Ethics came before the Board as a resolution requiring a vote, which was unanimous.
John Long, of The Hartford Courant, chair of the Ethics and Standards Committee for the NPPA, requested during the Board meeting last year in Chicago their approval to expand the committee in order to modernize and revamp the Code of Ethics "from the ground up."
"We need committee members who represent professional ethics and all aspects of photojournalism that exist now that didn't exist in 1946 (when NPPA was founded), such as editing and television," Long told the Board in 2003. "The committee's goal is to craft a Code of Ethics that is applicable to everyone and is inclusive of all aspects of photojournalism." Appointed to the committee at Long's request were Deni Elliott, Paul (Lester) Elliott, Sean D. Elliot of The Day, and J. Ross Baughman of The Washington Times. Al Tompkins and Kenny Irby of Poynter served as advisors to the committee.

Here is the NPPA's new Code of Ethics:
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.

© 2004 The National Press Photographers Association, Inc.

La nostra traduzione:

NPPA (National Press Photographers Association) adotta un nuovo “aggiornato” codice deontologico

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (July 10, 2004) – Il consiglio direttivo della National Press Photographers Association, Inc., ha adottato oggi all’unanimità un nuovo ed aggiornato Codice deontologico dell’associazione, nel corso dell’ultimo giorno di convegno al Poynter Institute for Media Studies. Il nuovo codice deontologico è stato accolto e votato all’unanimità dal Consiglio.
John Long, della testata The Hartford Courant, coordinatore della Commissione “Ethics and Standards” della NPPA, aveva richiesto già nel 2003 a Chicago, nel corso dell’ultima riunione del Consiglio, l’autorizzazione ad incrementare il numero dei membri della commissione al fine di rivedere profondamente e aggiornare il Codice precedente.

“Sentiamo il bisogno di avere nella commissione dei membri che rappresentino la deontologia professionale e tutti quegli aspetti del fotogiornalismo di cui si avverte oggi l’esigenza e che non esistevano invece nel 1946 (quando la NPPA fu fondata), come ad esempio l’editing delle foto e la televisione” , ha comunicato John Long al Direttivo nel 2003. “Lo scopo della commissione è di formulare un codice deontologico che si applichi a tuttii membri e che tenga conto di tutti gli aspetti del fotogiornalismo.” Della Commissione sono entrati a far parte Deni Elliott, Paul (Lester) Elliott, Sean D. Elliot del giornale The Day e J. Ross Baughman del The Washington Times. Hanno fornito inoltre la loro consulenza Al Tompkins e Kenny Irby del Poynter Institute.
Ciò che segue è il nuovo codice deontologico della NPPA in vigore dal 10 luglio 2004.

Premessa
La National Press Photographers Association, un’associazione professionale che promuove i più alti standard del fotogiornalismo, prende atto del bisogno di ogni individuo di essere sia informato sugli avvenimenti pubblici sia di essere riconosciuto come facente parte del mondo in cui viviamo.
I fotogiornalisti operano come fiduciari del pubblico. Il nostro ruolo primario è quello di riportare visivamente gli eventi significativi e i vari punti di vista del nostro mondo. Il nostro scopo primario è la rappresentazione fedele e completa del soggetto o evento fotografato. Come fotogiornalisti, abbiamo la responsabilità di documentare la società e di preservarne la memoria attraverso le immagini.
Immagini fotografiche e video possono rivelare grandi verità, mettere in luce errori e negligenze, ispirare speranza e comprensione e mettere in connessione gli abitanti del mondo attraverso il linguaggio visuale. Le fotografie possono anche causare grave danno se sono frutto di invadenza e mancanza di sensibilità o se sono manipolate.
Questo codice ha lo scopo di promuovere la più alta qualità di tutte le forme di fotogiornalismo e di rinsaldare la fiducia del pubblico nella professione. Ha altresì lo scopo di servire quale strumento didattico sia per coloro che praticano il fotogiornalismo, sia per coloro che ne riconoscono l’importanza. A tale scopo la National Press Photographers Association promuove il seguente codice deontologico.

Codice deontologico
I fotogiornalisti e coloro che operano nel giornalismo visivo, hanno la responsabilità di tenere nella massima considerazione i seguenti principi nel loro lavoro quotidiano:
1. Garantire accuratezza e completezza nella rappresentazione dei soggetti.
2. Fare attenzione a non essere manipolati da occasioni fotografiche frutto di messe in scena.
3. Garantire la completezza dell’informazione e fornire una adeguata contestualizzazione dei soggetti fotografati o ripresi. Evitare gli stereotipi nella rappresentazione sia degli individui, sia dei gruppi. Imparare a riconoscere le proprie deformazioni ed evitare che queste influenzino il proprio lavoro.
4. Trattare tutti i soggetti con rispetto e dignità. Riservare speciale attenzione ai soggetti deboli e avere compassione per le vittime di eventi tragici. L’intrusione nell’intimità dei momenti di grande dolore è ammessa soltanto quando il pubblico ha un prevalente e giustificato bisogno di vedere.
5. Nel fotografare degli eventi, non è ammesso fornire un contributo attivo al loro verificarsi, né influenzarli e tantomeno alterarli o cercare di alterarli.
6. L’editing deve conservare l’integrità del contenuto e del contesto delle immagini fotografiche. Non è ammesso manipolare le immagini o aggiungere o alterare i suoni in alcun modo che possa ingannare chi guarda o che possa dare una rappresentazione falsata dei soggetti.
7. Non dare compensi in denaro alle proprie fonti d’informazione né ricompensare materialmente i soggetti in cambio di informazioni o di una eventuale partecipazione.
8. Non accettare regali, favori o compensi da coloro che potrebbero essere interessati ad influenzare il lavoro giornalistico.
9. Non sabotare intenzionalmente gli sforzi di altri giornalisti.

Idealmente, i fotogiornalisti dovrebbero:

1. Fare ogni sforzo affinché gli affari pubblici siano condotti in pubblico. Difendere il diritto di accesso di tutti i giornalisti.
2. Pensare in maniera aperta alle innovazioni, come farebbe uno sudioso di psicologia, di sociologia, di politica, e di arte in modo da sviluppare una visione e uno stile personale. Lavorare con sempre vivo interesse per l’attualità e per i media visivi contemporanei.
3. Battersi per un accesso totale e senza restrizioni a tutte le situazioni, proporre sempre delle alternative rispetto a occasioni affrettate o prive di spessore, cercare punti di vista molteplici e impegnarsi nella ricerca di angolazioni poco diffuse, trascurate o impopolari.
4. Evitare coinvolgimenti diretti in campo politico, di impegno civile o di natura economica o altri impieghi che possano compromettere, o dare l’impressione di compromettere, la propria indipendenza giornalistica.
5. Sfozarsi di essere discreti, riservati e mantenere un basso profilo nel rapporto con i soggetti da fotografare.
6. Rispettare l’integrità del momento fotografico.
7. Impegnarsi a sostenere lo spirito e gli elevati standard di comportamento contenuti in questo codice deontologico sia con l’esempio personale sia divulgandone i principi. Nei casi in cui si debbano affrontare situazioni in cui non sia chiaro come comportarsi, rivolgersi e consultare coloro che hanno una riconosciuta correttezza deontologica professionale. I fotogiornalisti non dovrebbero mai smettere di interrogarsi sulla qualità del proprio lavoro e analizzare li principi morali che lo guidano e informano.
8.
© 2004 The National Press Photographers Association

Un recente codice etico è stato proposto anche dall’associazione SND (Society for News Design). Di questo forniamo la versione inglese, riservandoci di riportare quanto prima la traduzione.

The Society for News Design's Code of Ethical Standards
Adopted Aug. 30, 2006

Preamble: As members of the Society for News Design, we have an obligation to promote the highest ethical standards for visual journalism -- for all journalism -- as they apply to the values of accuracy, fairness, honesty, inclusiveness, and courage.

Accuracy
Accuracy is the indispensable value in journalism and must not be compromised. We must deliver error-free content, across all our media platforms. We must ensure that our content is a verifiable representation of the news and of our subjects. We promise never intentionally to mislead those who depend upon us for public service. We will correct errors promptly and prominently. We must be as accurate with our colleagues as we are with our audiences.

Honesty
We value original thought and expression. Our work will be free from fraud and deception -- that includes plagiarism and fabrication. We will attribute content and honor copyrights. We will strive to keep news content free of special interests, inside or outside the news organization. We embrace the value of transparency, disclosing the thinking behind key decisions -- from a credit line up to an editor's note on the front page.

Fairness
We must be scrupulously fair. We recognize that our work can have great impact on the subjects we cover and therefore we must respectfully balance that against the public's need to know. Even when it is impossible to avoid harm in the pursuit of truth telling, we will work hard to minimize that harm. We will listen to our critics. Our judgment in these matters must be based on our sense of right and wrong in a manner consistent with our professional values.

Inclusiveness
We will remain vigilant in our quest to combat prejudice and lead needed reforms. We will avoid stereotypes in reporting, editing, presentation, and hiring. Diversity, broadly defined, will be a hallmark of our work.
We accept the responsibility to understand our communities and to overcome bias with coverage that is representative of the constituent groups in the community. Over time, many groups, lifestyles, and backgrounds should see themselves and their values represented in the news.

Courage
Journalists need moral and, at times, physical courage to fulfill their responsibility to serve the public. It takes courage to stand behind values such as accuracy, honesty, fairness and inclusiveness. Such courage is necessary to achieve personal integrity and build credibility. This includes the courage to step beyond rigid boundaries. We must test conventional thinking explore innovative story-telling to help changing audiences understand an increasingly complex world.

Logic and literalness, objectivity and traditional thinking have their important place, but so must imagination and intuition, responsible creativity and empathy.

Infine riportiamo qui di seguito anche alcuni estratti di codici deontologici che fanno specifico riferimento all’utilizzo delle fotografie, e delle immagini in generale, in ambito giornalistico.

The New York Times: Guidelines on Our Integrity

Photography and Images.

Images in our pages that purport to depict reality must be genuine in every way. No people or objects may be added, rearranged, reversed, distorted or removed from a scene (except for the recognized practice of cropping to omit extraneous outer portions). Adjustments of color or gray scale should be limited to those minimally necessary for clear and accurate reproduction, analogous to the "burning" and "dodging" that formerly took place in darkroom processing of images. Pictures of news situations must not be posed. In the cases of collages, montages, portraits, fashion or home design illustrations, fanciful contrived situations and demonstrations of how a device is used, our intervention should be unmistakable to the reader, and unmistakably free of intent to deceive. Captions and credits should further acknowledge our intervention if the slightest doubt is possible. The design director, a masthead editor or the news desk should be consulted on doubtful cases or proposals for exceptions.

Los Angeles Times Ethics Guidelines

PHOTOS and GRAPHICS

Photographs and graphics must inform, not mislead. Any attempt to confuse readers or misrepresent visual information is prohibited.
In photographing news, we do not stage or reenact events. Photographers may direct subjects of portraits, fashion shoots or studio work. In presenting such images, we must avoid creating the impression that they were captured spontaneously. We do not add color, create photomontages, remove objects or flop images. We do not digitally alter images beyond making minor adjustments for color correction, exposure correction and removal of dust spots or scratches required to ensure faithful reproduction of the original image. Exaggerated use of burning, dodging or color saturation is not permitted.
On occasion, we publish artistic or graphic renderings that include altered photographs. Such renderings should be clearly labeled “photo illustration.” Before creating a photo illustration, photographers, photo editors and designers must obtain approval from a Senior Editor for photography.
Complex graphic illustrations should be similarly labeled. Photo editors must verify the authenticity of handout photos. Except in rare instances, credit lines must identify the source of such photographs.

The Associated Press Statement of News Values and Principles.

FABRICATIONS:

Nothing in our news report – words, photos, graphics, sound or video – may be fabricated. We don't use pseudonyms, composite characters or fictional names, ages, places or dates. We don't stage or re-enact events for the camera or microphone, and we don't use sound effects or substitute video or audio from one event to another. We do not "cheat" sound by adding audio to embellish or fabricate an event. A senior editor must be consulted prior to the introduction of any neutral sound (ambient sound that does not affect the editorial meaning but corrects a technical fault).
We do not ask people to pose for photos unless we are making a portrait and then we clearly state that in the caption. We explain in the caption the circumstances under which photographs are made. If someone is asked to pose for photographs by third parties and that is reflected in AP-produced images, we say so in the caption. Such wording would be: "XXX poses for photos."

IMAGES:

AP pictures must always tell the truth. We do not alter or manipulate the content of a photograph in any way.
The content of a photograph must not be altered in PhotoShop or by any other means. No element should be digitally added to or subtracted from any photograph. The faces or identities of individuals must not be obscured by PhotoShop or any other editing tool. Only retouching or the use of the cloning tool to eliminate dust and scratches are acceptable.
Minor adjustments in PhotoShop are acceptable. These include cropping, dodging and burning, conversion into grayscale, and normal toning and color adjustments that should be limited to those minimally necessary for clear and accurate reproduction (analogous to the burning and dodging often used in darkroom processing of images) and that restore the authentic nature of the photograph. Changes in density, contrast, color and saturation levels that substantially alter the original scene are not acceptable. Backgrounds should not be digitally blurred or eliminated by burning down or by aggressive toning.
When an employee has questions about the use of such methods or the AP's requirements and limitations on photo editing, he or she should contact a senior photo editor prior to the transmission of any image.
On those occasions when we transmit images that have been provided and altered by a source – the faces obscured, for example – the caption must clearly explain it. Transmitting such images must be approved by a senior photo editor.
For video, the AP permits the use of subtle, standard methods of improving technical quality, such as adjusting video and audio levels, color correcting due to white balance or other technical faults, and equalization of audio to make the sound clearer – provided the use of these methods does not conceal, obscure, remove or otherwise alter the content, or any portion of the content, of the image. The AP also allows digitally obscuring faces to protect a subject's identity under certain circumstances. Such video must not be distributed without approval of the Editor of the Day or senior manager. In addition, video for online use and for domestic broadcast stations can be fonted with titles and logos.
Graphics, including those for television, often involve combining various photographic elements, which necessarily means altering portions of each photograph. The background of a photograph, for example, may be removed to leave the headshot of the newsmaker. This may then be combined with a logo representing the person's company or industry, and the two elements may be layered over a neutral background.
Such compositions must not misrepresent the facts and must not result in an image that looks like a photograph – it must clearly be a graphic.
Similarly, when we alter photos to use as graphics online, we retain the integrity of the image, limiting the changes to cropping, masking and adding elements like logos. Videos for use online can be altered to add graphical information such as titles and logos, to tone the image and to improve audio quality. It is permissible to display photos online using techniques such as 360-degree panoramas or dissolves as long as they do not alter the original images.

German Press Code (by the German Press Council)

Guideline 2.2 - Symbolic photographs

If an illustration, especially a photograph, can be taken to be a documentary picture by the casual reader, although it is a symbolic photograph, this must be clarified. For this reason:
- substitute or auxiliary illustrations (i.e. a similar subject at a different time, or a different subject at the same time, etc.),
- symbolic illustrations (reconstructed scenes, artificially visualised events to accompany text, etc.),
- photomontages or other changes,
must be clearly marked as such either in the caption or in the accompanying text.