Not just any photo will do

[Leer en español.] 

DOING SOMETHING ONCE could be a coincidence.  But doing it three times is a habit. 

This the issue confronting TVN, Chile's public television channel.  Amid an environment of rising national tensions in the streets due to massive student protests, on three separate occasions, its news broadcasts incorrectly used the image of an "encapuchado", a vandal who covers his face in order to commit crimes. 

The problem is that the news item this photo supposedly supported had nothing to do with looting or barricades in the streets.  Instead, the relevant news story dealt with the rejection of the most recent proposal the student protesters had presented to the government, and a meeting of university leaders and Chile's president. 

First some context.  Three months ago, the umbrella organization that represents the various federations of students in traditional, state-supported universities (CONFECH) launched a protest movement that has now paralyzed Chile's education system, including secondary education. 

The student leaders are demanding an end to all financial profit in education, as well as improved quality and lower costs.  The government has responded with two counter-proposals, both of which the students have rejected, with the support of the teachers union. 

At the same time, university and secondary students have taken to the streets in massive marches in Chile's major cities, including a march of some 100,000 students in Santiago.  Nearly all the marches have ended in violence.

This prompted TVN to utilize the image of a masked vandal in stories about education reform on 14 June, 26 June and again on 11 July.  The media watchdog site La Otra Prensa took note of this alleged unethical practice and lodged a complaint with the National Journalist Guild. 

The guild agreed that, according to the Code of Ethics (Spanish), TVN had indeed committed an infraction.  It is clear that this public broadcaster must apologize for this journalistic malpractice and recognize the "error". 

This denunciation has already marked TVN's editorial line to such a point that it has changed the focus of TVN's coverage.  The broadcaster now focuses on more on protester demands and the personalities of those who participate in the marches rather than on the violence. 

The lesson to be learned

In my own daily paper, we have committed this same error.  In order to illustrate a story about the murder of a youth by a neo Nazi, the paper published a photo of a group of skinheads. Obviously, the skinheads complained because, besides the photo's lack of accuracy, skinheads are bitter rivals of neo Nazis. 

So, not just any photo will do.