Would you print these?

Out of all four of these pictures, I feel that only two of them are suitable for print: 1a and 2a. The other two, even though they conjure up more emotion than the first two, are a little too graphic to run in print. Deciding which is more print worthy out of the first two comes down to which picture captures what is happening better. After some quick mental deliberation, I would have to go with picture 1a:








Picture 1a shows enough to get the story across, but not enough to gross out or possibly offend those who look at it. You can see the despair in his eyes and the fear in his body as his hand reaches out to push back anybody that comes close to him. The picture definitely tells the story.

This is of course if I HAD to pick one of these photos to put in print. The whole subject matter might be a little too risky to put in print. A.) It could offend or disgust readers. B.) This is a very delicate situation and could bring emotional strain to his family.
These pictures are a powerful asset in telling the story, but it is a touchy situation in choosing whether or not to run them. I would never run the final two (even though they probably convey the story/emotion the best), and I would only run one of the first two (most likely the first) if it was completely necessary.


I am actually kind of disturbed by some of the photos in the second group, especially the final one - that is just unacceptable behavior. I would definitely not run that photo. It is way too graphic and inappropriate for print.

All of these photos are very powerful images and most are extremely sad (especially the boy and his dog). They all show great emotion and help tell the story, but some of them might be a little too invasive into the privacy of the subjects.

The second photo of the boy who drowned documents the loss and suffering on his family's face. It makes for one hell of a photo, but printing the photo may just rehash feelings of loss and despair.

The boy on the spike I would print in a heartbeat. It is an interesting story coupled with a great picture - plus, the kid ended up being OK.

I think the biggest problem I have with picking pictures is I don't like to offend people if it isn't necessary. Some of these pictures could possibly offend and it makes it hard for me to come to a complete decision.