#Dysturb

"Visual journalists operate as trustees of the public. Our primary role is to report visually on the significant events and varied viewpoints in our common world. Our primary goal is the faithful and comprehensive depiction of the subject at hand. As visual journalists, we have the responsibility to document society and to preserve its history through images."-NPPA

The National Press Photographers Association describes the role of photojournalists as a service to the public, and that they should "strive to ensure that the public's business is conducted in public." As photojournalists it is our job to show the public the truth and to not manipulate photographs to demonstrate our personal biased.

The recent movement #Dysturb takes photojournalism to the streets. The question is, does this movement follow the ethics of photojournalism set by the NPPA? Well Pierre Terdjman the head of the movement describes #Dysturb  as "not political or militants; the goal is again to raise awareness about world issues and to educate people through journalism."

#Dysturb is a combination of photojournalism and street art. The photojournalists in movement take their photographs of war, social injustices and other world events and pastes them to walls around New York City. This has brought up questions of whether or not this vandalism, art or photojournalism.

Vandalism; personally I would not classify this movement as vandalism or even a movement that breaks the law. Terdjman and his team of photographers use a water-based paste for their photos, therefore not permanently damaging anyone's property. They also don't run from the police; instead they explain their movement and if they're asked to take it down they do.

"The guerrilla strategy is meant to draw more attention to urgent
world events and make photojournalism accessible to a wider
audience"-Mr. Terdjma

Art; is #Dysturb just a bunch of street artists? Well yes and no. Yes photojournalism is a type of art and yes #Dysturb is being displayed on the streets, however the fact that it is a photojournalist movement supersedes the street art aspect. Street is the "how" and photojournalism is "what", truth is the "why".

Photojournalism; absolutely, one hundred percent, yes!  Mr. Terdjman and his team are not only following the code of ethics deemed by the NPPA but they are exercising essentially what it means to be a photojournalists. Taking the images of war, social injustices and world events and putting them on display around New York City #Dystrub is doing its job to show the public truth.

In world where media often comes across as biased and agenda based it's refreshing to see such a movement that is focused on truth. #Dysturb makes sure all their photographs are unaltered and display only facts. Popular media outlets would not have picked up these photos otherwise, therefore leaving the public in the dark. All-in-all #Dysturb in its purest form is photojournalism.




If you wold like to find out more about #Dysturb or the NPPA and their code of ethics feel free to click the links. Until next time, remember don't just do it for the gram, tell a story.