By: Darine Mohamed, Maram Hithem, Farida Hatem, Manar Gamal, Shaza Ashraf, Noran Anwer

EMCCU organized on Wednesday, a seminar entitled "Photo Culture and Ethics", in the presence of a number of journalists and photojournalists, on the sidelines of the seminar EMCCU TODAY had the opportunity to interview Mrs. Zainab Abdellah, Editor-in-Chief of Youm7…  

Do you think that a photo has more power than words?

The issue is not that the photo is stronger than words, but rather the photo is more lasting than words, as the photos of wars and violations, and how the photos were very influential and changed policies and ended wars, and there are examples of images such as the photo of the child in the Vietnam war (Nabalm girl), and how impressive this picture was.

Was there a photo that had a lot of criticism about its appearance, but it should have appeared?

I had a video-recorded interview with the actor "Youssef Fawzy", who was absent from the acting field for many years due to his Parkinson`s disease. When the video was published, he received a lot of criticism from media fans. They said How does he appear in this way when he is sick? The artist stated that this was done by his own free will and that he did not have Alzheimer`s. When the interview was published, it reflected positively on him. The artist`s poor condition or his change of appearance does not negate his appearance in the media. If he tells me that he does not want to be photographed, I must accept that.
Also "Amr Mohammad Ali," the child who played the role of Shaqshaq in the Arabesque series, said that some fans have asked him where he went. He suddenly disappeared from the acting area. Shaqshaq had multiple sclerosis. I asked his mother to appear with him on camera, but she refused and said, "I do not want to appear by my face, I only want my voice, although I would have benefited more if the mother appeared crying, but the professional ethics determine us in the field of work.
And the artist, Sherifa Fadel, in an interview with her, said that she does not want the masses to see her, and prefers the dialogue with voice only. After the death of the artist, and to this day, I owns her pictures, which could become a trend if they appeared, but I would not publish them in order to preserve professional ethics.
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How can we educate young people about the culture of the photo and ethical guidelines?

It is possible to improve the education of young people about the culture and ethics of the image through training courses, and readings, also the youth should be aware of it, through contact with people who worked in the field of photography and through reading about the history of the image and the discussions that exist about that pictures and how it affected the world and what actions were taken for these pictures. Also, students must be familiar with the laws of the country in general, the laws of the press, and the rules of human rights so that when they photograph, they do not violate a person privacy. I also praise the efforts of the Faculty of Mass Communication that offers great opportunities for its students to gain experience through seminars and workshops and students should take advantage of these opportunities.

What is your advice to young journalists and photojournalists to be professional?

Balancing between topics in terms of what should be done professionally and unprofessionally, and taking into account ethics and the rights of the source, the journalist is obligated to do so all the time before publishing any photo.
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