Staging by Danielle Destrade

My mother's small catering business was once featured in a local magazine in our hometown. The photojournalist shooting for the article showed up at our home and immediately began directing the experience as if it was a photo shoot for Cosmo. He not only completely staged my mother and her business partners baking, but he even posed them for his shots.

What I drew from this was more than, "That guy really took the easy way out." I honestly remember thinking that he could have gotten such better shots if he had just stuck around to see my mother actually at work. Her furrowed brow, careful movements, and steady hands when she makes intricate wedding cakes tell the story of who she is and what her business is about so much better than his cheesy, one-dimensional pictures.

The concept of staging video is completely opposed to the intentions of journalism. As Wertheimer explained, ethical standards in journalism are there to preserve the very purpose and definition of journalism - to tell a story how it happened, with authenticity and accountability to your subjects, your audience and your colleagues. More than that, staging will almost always lead to something that will feel false and empty in comparison to the rich complexity of an authentically told story. That's what's ironic to me - journalists turn to staging to make the story "better", but the way to make it "best" is to just keep trying until you get the real deal.