Phototruth Or Photofiction?: Ethics and Media Imagery in the Digital Age
Among the 'pluses' of the book are the scores of quotations from academics and professionals that cause the reader to sit back and think a bit more about what he or she is reading....the content is important and may help others explain visual 'reality' to their children--or students.—Media EthicsWheeler's book is a long labor of love-six years in the making.Photofact or Photofiction?is well-researched and footnoted. Each chapter offers a bibliography ('Endnotes') and the comments from the forum respondents are run throughout the text as well. The book is a smooth and interesting read. A former magazine editor, Wheeler writes precisely, concretely and compellingly. Although the book is targeted at young students aspiring to be photojournalists, graphic editors and visual communicators, its content and value is valuable to everyone.—Visual Resources...Phototruth or Photofictionwould serve very well as a text or supplement to undergraduate courses in photojournalism and media ethics. It is well written and covers a wide range of issues effectively and in an organized manner. Its focus on history and theory, while a bit sparse, is enough to put the issues into a context and provide a basis for the guidelines the author provides. It also provides detailed examples from newspaper and magazine journalism of acceptable modifications, those changes that are in the gray areas, and those that are clearly indefensible.—Journalism StudiesTom Wheeler delivers the book academia needs and does so with graceful writing, tight organization and fairness. This is an important contribution to Visual Communication.—Shiela ReavesUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison