Image Ethics

This collection of essays examines the moral rights of subjects portrayed in documentary film and television. The discussion is placed largely in the context of art, rather than news, and recognizes that the time is now over when photographers and film-makers can use images of their subjects and justify their actions as the right of the artist. Among the articles are theoretically framed pieces on the issue of informed consent, the "right" of individuals and minority groups to be respresented fairly and accurately, and the right of individuals to profit from their own image. The book also looks at the peculiar moral rights of minorities who create images of themselves. There are a number of case studies, which include an examination of British documentaries of the 1930s and an essay on the portrayal of Arabs on television.