Photo Journalism 4(1+3)

Lesson 16 : Ethics and Legal Consideration for Photojournalists

Self protection

It is important to know who owns your photographs. If you are a staff photographer, your work is automatically owned by the employer. If you are a freelancer you own work unless there is a signed agreement to the contrary. You should have the signed agreement before you do the work. Any work that is initiated by a freelancer photojournalist is also owned by the photographer. “only you, the photographer, have the copyrights on what you create and only you, the photographer, can determine how you will dispose of it”

Copyright covers all areas and serves to protect you against the copying of your work without permission. A copy right exists from the moment you snap the shutter, buy you can formally register also.