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Lesson 6

What are the roles and responsibilities of a photojournalist in documenting events of history? We will examine other images of 9/11 in relationship to what we have learned about the photo Falling Man to develop conclusions about how photojournalists should document disturbing events of history.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I recognize points of connection among images and perspectives to make logical, objective comparisons?

  • Can I gather and organize relevant and sufficient evidence to demonstrate understanding of a journalistic photograph?

  • Can I formulate and use questions to establish and deepen my understanding of several related but distinct journalistic photographs?

Texts

Core

  • Unit Reader
    • “The Falling Man: An Unforgettable Story,” Tom Junod, Esquire, 2016
  • Digital Access
    • Falling Man, Richard Drew, Tom Junod, Esquire, 2016
    • “Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics,” Society of Professional Journalists
    • “The 9/11 Photos We Will Never Forget,” Kyle Almond, CNN, 2021

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Discuss

We will examine and compare three photographs from 9/11, including Falling Man and iconic photos from photojournalists Kelly Guenther and Thomas E. Franklin as examples of journalistic truth and excellence.

Step 1

Access the CNN photographic essay from September 2021 titled “The 9/11 Photos We Will Never Forget.”

This retrospective gallery, compiled and written by Kyle Almond, presents 22 iconic images taken by photojournalists in September 2001, including Richard Drew’s Falling Man. Each image is accompanied by a short section of text that identifies the photojournalist and often includes reflections on the day and the photo from them. You will use this resource to compare two very different images from 9/11 with Drew’s controversial photo.

Step 2

Begin by reexamining a zoomed close-up of Falling Man, the fourth photo in the series. Read the text below the photo, taking note of Drew’s comment that “A lot of people say, ‘Well, I don’t want to look at that.’”

Then move back to the first image in the series: a long range view of Lower Manhattan showing the second plane headed for the World Trade Center, taken by photojournalist Kelly Guenther for the New York Times. Read the text below the photo, taking note of her admonition to herself to “Do your job” and her comment that “it is the full frame image that tells the story: the perfect blue sky, the classic New York skyline and a black plane, frozen in time, a second before the world changed.”

Finally, scroll down to the 16th image in the series, taken by photojournalist Thomas E. Franklin for the Bergen (NJ) Record, of three firemen raising the American flag in front of the tower rubble. Read the text below the photo, noting Franklin’s comment that the photograph for him “represents the extraordinary courage our first responders showed that day.”

Step 3

Discuss and compare the three distinct images from 9/11, all of which have been published many times all around the world, in terms of some quotations about truth in photojournalism, two of which you have considered before:

Truth is the objective of good journalism; beauty is secondary to the truth. But the great photographers usually manage to get pictures which are not only truthful but beautiful. (John Morris, Get the Picture)

Photographs lie. Even great photographs. Especially great photographs. (Tom Junod, “The Falling Man: An Unforgettable Story”)

There can be no higher law in journalism than to tell the truth and to shame the devil. (Walter Lippmann, famous American journalist)

Discuss the “truths” about the 9/11 attack represented in each of the three photographic images. Consider the following:

  • what they document

  • how they were unexpectedly captured by the photographers

  • why they have, respectively, been seen as controversial, iconic, or beloved

Step 4

In light of the three distinct images and the quotations about truth in photojournalism, and based on what you have seen and read leading up to this activity, discuss in small groups the following questions:

  1. Should images such as the three representations of 9/11 events be published and praised as examples of journalistic excellence?

  2. How far should images go in telling the truth? Are there limits photojournalists should recognize in telling the truth?

Review your notes from Lesson 3 of Section 3, where you read and discussed the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. Consider principles of the code in relationship to Falling Man and the other two 9/11 photographs.

  1. In what ways do these images and their photographers conform or not conform to the rules of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics?

  2. How do images such as these threerepresent and shape the history of a tragic event such as 9/11? How have they been viewed by the public and influenced public opinion?

Be prepared to share your responses with the class.

Activity 2: Write

We will consider evidence-based questions regarding our study of Falling Man—and photojournalism thus far.

Read over the following questions, taking brief notes in your Learning Log about how you might use what you have learned in the unit to respond to each of them:

  1. What do you believe is the role of a journalist—his or her responsibility when reporting important historic events? How well do you think photographer Richard Drew did his job on 9/11? What about Kelly Guenther and Thomas Franklin? Explain and support your reasoning.

  2. After receiving harsh criticism for publishing Falling Man, many news outlets shifted heavily toward highlighting the heroism of first responders in the images they featured—exemplified by the Franklin photo of the firemen raising the flag. What do you think about this decision? Explain and support your reasoning.

  3. Imagine you were a news editor on 9/11. Which of the three photos would you have chosen to publish as a lead photograph to represent the story of the day’s tragic events? Explain and support your reasoning.

Activity 3: Write

We will form and explain an evidence-based claim in response to one of the questions from the previous activity.

In response to one of the previous questions, use a Forming Evidence-Based Claims Tool to form an evidence-based claim, considering what you have learned about photojournalism so far.

Your claim should take a position on the issue raised in the question you select:

  1. What do you believe is the role of a journalist—his or her responsibility when reporting important historic events? How well do you think photographer Richard Drew did his job on 9/11? What about Kelly Guenther and Thomas Franklin? Explain and support your reasoning.

  2. After receiving harsh criticism for publishing Falling Man, many news outlets shifted heavily toward highlighting the heroism of first responders in the images they featured—exemplified by the Franklin photo of the firemen raising the flag. What do you think about this decision? Explain and support your reasoning.

  3. Imagine you were a news editor on 9/11. Which of the three photos would you have chosen to publish as a lead photograph to represent the story of the day’s tragic events? Explain and support your reasoning.

In your Learning Log, write a paragraph in which you present, explain, and support your claim, using evidence from your tool.

Activity 4: Discuss

In light of the claims we have developed and explained, we will preview the Section Diagnostic task, which asks us to write an expository response to Falling Man and truth in photojournalism.

Step 1

Access, read, and annotate the Section 4 Diagnostic Checklist. With a partner, discuss the task overview and question.

Discuss how this task is related to the claim you developed in the last two activities and your perspective about the 9/11 photographs and whether they truthfully represent the events of 9/11 and deserved to be published.

Step 2

Individually, form a claim that expresses your position in response to the task question:

  1. How do controversial photographs like Richard Drew’s Falling Man highlight the responsibilities and dilemmas faced by photojournalists as they document painful moments in American history and influence our reactions to them?

Step 3

Read through the expectations of the task.

Think about how you might meet these expectations—specifically, how you might use the Visual Analysis Tool you completed for the photo, your notes and quotations from texts you have read and class discussions, and the paragraph you wrote in the previous activity to support your position and organize your essay.

Activity 5: Write

We will develop a plan and organize evidence for the Section Diagnostic, which expects us to write a multiparagraph essay reflecting our position on Falling Man and truth in photojournalism.

In light of the position you have taken in response to the Section Diagnostic question, form a claim and organize evidence from the Falling Man, other 9/11 photographs you have examined, and texts you have read in this section of the unit, so you are prepared to write an explanation of your claim in class.

Review your Vocabulary Journal. Identify a significant word or words that you would like to use in your response to the Section Diagnostic.

Review your Mentor Sentence Journal. Select at least one technique that you plan to use when writing your response to the Section Diagnostic.