Ethical journalism’s first principle is to do no harm.

Because visuals have a lasting impact, what we use must be highly intentional and thoughtful to preserve the dignity of our sources while also informing our audiences about addiction as a disease. At Reporting on Addiction, we’re helping journalists take on the task of visual storytelling ethically.

We know some newsrooms have dedicated photographers and videographers, but more and more, journalists are being expected to create this content on their own. This guide was created for photographers, videographers, but also anyone in the newsroom who will be creating, selecting, editing and publishing visuals. It is both broad and deep in applying our guidance to specific instances that can harm our communities.

Our work is informed by industry standards and our research, including direct feedback from experts through experience, experts through training and journalists, including those that specialize in visual journalism.