Photo Art-The OJ Covers
The two covers from the two top-circulating news magazines represent their interpretation of the image of OJ Simpson. They are the same mug shot photo.
Newsweek played the photo straight – no significant enhancement or digital editing.
Time magazine chose to artistically interpret the photo, making OJ look different than the original photo for dramatic effect.
The Time cover is not labeled as “digitally enhanced” or “artistically interpreted” and, unless a reader was to closely compare the two magazine covers, which does not usually happen, they would not know that this is not how OJ looked in his mug shot.
What, if anything, are the ethical problems with these covers?
What ethical standards should be applied? Why?
Department of Communication, Seton Hall University