Photojournalists' and Photo Editors' Attitudes and Perceptions: The Visual Coverage of 9/11 and the Afghan War

A survey of photojournalists and photo editors (N = 516) revealed that the vast majority of the respondents believe the U.S. press differed from foreign press in the visual depiction of human suffering, patriotism, political climate, and global reactions. Findings also indicated the majority of the respondents support the use of graphic imagery and perceive the context of news influences the selection of graphic photographs under certain circumstances. Respondents reported political sensitivity ranked higher for selecting graphic images of the Afghan War than for selecting graphic images of 9/11. Results also suggest significant but not meaningful differences on the influences of readers' criticisms, taste, self-censorship, and personal ethics in the visual gatekeeping process. The limited consideration for organizations' codes of ethics and the lack of necessary access to photograph the Afghan War also were noted.