mapjd@lcc

"Increasingly music is finding its way into online multimedia journalism, and with good reason. A well chosen soundtrack can pull your viewers deep into your story, keep them hooked and make an emotional point. Music is, and let's be honest about this, a way of manipulating how your audience feel. There are those purists who are against that, who argue the story should be strong enough not to need to tell your viewer how to feel. Whichever camp you lie in, one thing is for sure: if you use music in any piece of online video journalism or digital story it must be legal. There is no excuse for getting your client or your newsroom shouldered with an expensive bill just because that bit of Arcade Fire fitted perfectly with the film. The good news is there are plenty of resources out there for free, or cheap, music. Most, but not all, operate under the Creative Commons Licence, which lets you use music on certain conditions."

"I know this can be a controversial subject. I know there are passionate beliefs built up over years of personal experience. This list, like any list of its kind is bound to have some short comings. In the spirit of that acknowledgment, please feel free to leave additions or suggestions in the comment section. This list will inevitably be outdated within a year, so an updated comment section would be of real value to everyone. For this post, I've created three separate gear lists (budget, moderate and high-end) with three budgets in mind. "

"The documentary "Restrepo," directed by Mr. Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, will open Friday. Last week, Mr. Hetherington sat down with Mr. Kamber in Midtown Manhattan to talk about the film - and much else besides. Their remarks have been edited for brevity and clarity."

"EST&OST is a European network of photographers and photographic collectives specializing in Eastern Europe. EST&OST constantly presents a coverage of current events and social issues in Central and Eastern Europe, based on a perfect under-standing of the region and the subjects at hand. "

"Finding the Frame is a gathering spot where multimedia journalists can receive feedback on their videos, audio slideshows and multimedia projects from industry professionals and fellow visual journalists. "

"Protect Yourself as a Photographer - Legal Aspects to Consider This article series is about the legal aspects that a photographer must think about when (s)he intends to make a business out of photography. Including information on legal documents, such as the model release form and photo contracts."

"Last week's crisis in Haiti has yielded a significant response from photographers and editors in the photojournalism community. Photographers were sent to Haiti on assignment, and others left for the Carribean on spec to document the devastation and help tell the tragic story. In looking at the various outlets for imagery from Haiti, I'm wondering if there might be a new way that photojournalism could capture a story of this magnitude, and if the current, traditional way in which multiple media outlets send multiple photographers to places of crisis has preventable pitfalls of its own."

"Interview with Marco Vernaschi Retracted For those of you who check in regularly, you may have noticed that I have removed two posts on the subject of child sacrifice in Uganda by the photographer Marco Vernaschi. I took my time in making this decision and I believe that the details should be revealed to the public so that it is clear how I became involved in this story and what led to my decision to retract the interview. If you have not already read Mr. Vernaschi's article on the Pulitzer Center's website, please do so now."

"dvafoto - photojournalism - M. Scott Brauer and Matt Lutton Matt Lutton and M. Scott Brauer share their work and others' Ethical Transgressions in Marco Vernaschi's Coverage for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting Apr 23, 2010 by M. Scott Brauer 3 Comments » What started as a long accusation in a lightstalkers thread has turned into a large-scale discussion involving a Pulitzer Center apology and coverage on the Guardian website. Marco Vernaschi's coverage of child sacrifice in Uganda (another with the offending image removed and another) for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting initially looked like a hard and gritty glance into a little-known-outside-of-Africa problem of ritual child sacrifice. Issues of exoticism and the colonialist view notwithstanding, numerous bloggers began lobbing serious allegations of paying for access, illegally exhuming a child's body to take pictures of the corpse, child exploitation, and outright fabrication. A Developing Story raised some strong questions of both Vernaschi and the Pulitzer Center. The Pulitzer Center took time in responding to the allegations. Other bloggers led the charge, with Anne Holmes of Vigilante Journalist providing invaluable investigation into the case with Ugandan authorities. Holmes had previously interviewed Vernaschi for her blog and has retracted those articles due to concerns about Vernaschi's ethics and journalistic process. The Pulitzer Center has issued a statement responding to these allegations, in which it agrees that the bounds of journalism, ethics, and human decency were crossed. Asim Rafiqui has a great perspective on the issue, as does Tewfic El-Sawey. Pay special attention Rafiqui's analysis of the motivations for a photographer to manufacture a story as regards the media eco-system of photojournalism awards, publications looking for sensationalism, and historical portrayals of Africa. "Mr. Vernaschi's transgression is not just that of an individual, but of an indust

"On digging up the truth, and Marco Vernaschi April 21, 2010 Leave a comment Go to comments These are the facts: the Italian photographer Marco Vernaschi, working on a story dealing with child sacrifices and mutilations in Uganda, a story supported by the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, persuaded a family to exhume the recently buried body of their murdered daughter (photo here), so that he could photograph it. It is also a fact that he gave them money-about $70. Vernaschi and the Pulitzer Center are now getting plenty of criticism for this, and also for publishing (as part of the same story) a full frontal photograph of a naked child whose penis had been cut off."

"Following up on our previous coverage, Marco Vernaschi let us know that the Pulitzer Center has published another post about the subject, "Uganda: Response to Critics." The post includes both a response by Vernaschi and a note from the Pulitzer Center Executive Director Jon Sawyer. The response specifically addresses questions raised by A Developing Story and Vigilante Journalist and includes a link to an interview with a Ugandan lawyer about the inadequate police response to the murder of Margaret Babirye Nankya, as well as a video of Vernaschi's interview with the girl's mother. Of specific note, also, is Vernaschi's statement about removing another photo from the project, this one of a child's coffin. Three bodies were exhumed in a separate case and this coffin was one of the exhumed bodies."

"Illegal exhumation - A debate about Marco Vernaschi´s methods "

"Khalid Mohtaseb was on the ground shooting in Port-au-Prince less than a week after the earthquake hit Haiti on 12 January, 2010. His job was not an easy one. Today, those behind the lens covering the news are rapidly becoming the news themselves. The dramatic footage that Wikileaks released of the Reuters' photographer and driver shot in Iraq has focused attention on the dangers of covering news on the ground; it has also sparked a discussion about how news videos should be packaged. Did the effects Wikileaks staff added to the footage bias the story of what happened to these Reuters' newsmen?"

Albert Maysles on Documentary Filmmaking With his late brother David, Albert Maysles is a giant among documentary filmmakers. Over the past half century, he has produced behind-the-scenes chronicles of cultural icons (the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Marlon Brando, Truman Capote, Vladmir Horowitz, Christo, Jessye Norman), and is best known for "cinema verite" documentaries such as "Grey Gardens," in which the camera captures natural conversations and activities without the intrusion of interviews or narration.

" Photography for a Cause Taking photographs for charities is a delicate balance of fulfilling the brief, respecting your subject and never working for free. The work can also enrich your understanding of human nature, writes Helen Stone. "

"Everyone, especially photographers, wants to be loved. But, unfortunately, not all are. Love and respect are earned, and it's usually a two-way street. Yesterday's post, "Top 13 Ways to Piss Off a Photo Editor" was a view of what actually gets a photo editor angry. (If your reaction to yesterday's post was to immediately start bitching, moaning and whining, please re-read point #11: "Complain.") So today, I gathered a different kind of information from that same panel of photo editors in an attempt to find the quickest paths to their heart."

"MediaStorm's Guide to Final Cut Pro Resources on the Web Posted by Eric Maierson, April 12th, 2010 2 Comments » Final Cut Pro is a rich application, offering vast possibilities to those who take the time to learn it well. With that goal in mind, here is a list of some of the most important Final Cut Pro resources on the web."