“The Ethics of Visual Rhetoric & Photo Manipulation”

by Amber McDonnell | Xchanges 10.2/11.1

Methods

This study employs a case study approach to examining the ethical implications of BP’s photo manipulation decisions during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill crisis. Case studies allow researchers to examine “contemporary phenomena in real-life context” and are useful for their ability to consider multiple points of view on an event (Yin, 2009). This case study draws on primary sources (specifically, the photographs themselves) and secondary sources including news coverage, blog posts, and academic scholarship.

The two photos analyzed in this study were selected because they received the most media coverage and criticism of all the photographs in question. The original photos and the altered photos (both of which can be found in the Scenario section) provide the artifact for analysis. Supporting context is drawn from media coverage of the issue, and analysis is guided by three frameworks: Bruno Latour’s (1986) theory of visual persuasion, Nancy Allen’s (1996) framework for ethics and visual rhetoric in technical communication, and Alan Manning and Nicole Amare’s (2006) discussion of the ethical scope of visual communication.

In the analysis section, ethical theories (specifically, deontology and consequentialism) are applied to the scenario and to the ethical decisions made by BP’s public relations team. These frameworks allow a nuanced evaluation of BP’s decision-making process and provide technical communicators with tools for their own ethical decisions regarding visual rhetoric.