Evening star., 1953-01-11
Camera Angles


upon the press as it's best source
Of information. That the press
be entirely free from censor
ship, saving in cases involving
sedition, libel, or treason, is in
the public interest. It is impli-
cit that this same freedom
should attach to radio and tele-
vision and to all means by
which information is made
public, including the picture
record, which has become a
most essential part of the news.
There is mounting evidence,
however, that news photo
graphers, including TV came
ramen, are meeting with in
creasing rebuffs from judicial
and lawmaking bodies, both
State and national in character.
This Is an unfortunate situ-
alton. based largely on miscon-
ception and archaic thinking.
Originally, the basis for barring
photographers from courtrooms
or public hearings where wit
nesses are compelled to testify
by subpoena was justified. In
the early days of photography
the bulky cameras and booming
flash powder that sent up tow
ering clouds of smoke at every
exposure were indeed enough
to offend the dignity of any
court and disconcert a witness.
But all that is d thing of the
past. The modern news photo
rapher, if anything, is less con-
spicuous that the reporter, who
is readily admitted to public
proceedings from which the
cameraman is barred. Techno-
logical improvements in film,
cameras, and lenses permit
taking news pictures with a
minimum of noticeable activity.
It is doubtful that a courtroom
exists where pictures cannot be
taken by existing light with
the modern high-speed lens
shutter-film combination.
Definition From the Bor
Before proceeding further
with our discussion of the
merits of the case for uncen-
sored press photography it is
only equitable that we make a
clear statement of the objec-
tions of those who oppose it.
No better summation can be
found than the words Of Canon
IS on Judicial Ethics of the
merican Bar Association
which states that courtroom
photography is calculated to
detract from the essential dig
nifty of the proceedings, degrade
the court and create miscon-
ceptions with respect thereto in
the mind of the public and
should not be permitted"
Fortunately, these are not
the sentiments of the entire
judiciary. Joseph Costa, chair
man of the board of the Ma
tional Press Photographers AS
sociation. in an article. Does
Press Freedom Include Photog-
raphy?" quotes the words Of
Judge Raymond l.. Sauter of
the 18th Judicial District Of
Colorado as follows:
1.-THE judicial branch of our
Government in some instances
operates with restrictions
which, to me, seem unwar-
ranted. This attitude at times
expresses itself by the exclusion
of news photographers from
courtrooms.
Judicial officers should not
seek the headlines or endeavor
to adorn the news page, and
courtroom photographers need
not produce such results. Read
ers are little concerned over the
identity of a jurist, but they
are tremendously concerned
over what takes place in court
and are genuinely interested in
participants of the drama of
the courtroom. Words alone
many times cannot portray the
tenseness of a moment of crisis
in an important trial. A pic
ture can, and often does. tell
more than a thousand words.
I'm this age, when visual i'm
presSions are assuming increas-
ing Importance, courts should
not be too reluctant to permit
photographs of judicial pro-
ceedings, if they can be accom-
plished without interfering with
the orderly progress of a trial.
It has been my experience in
some cases of great public in
terest that news photographers
not only functioned without
disturbing the normal progress
of the trial, but performed un-
noticed by the jury, the attor-
neys and the witnesses. Ger
tainly such photography in the
courtroom entities the news
INV Dirk Mansfield