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Eric Conrad 12/17/2007

We publish the photo and the next day team parents or fans call and say, "That wasn't representative of our season. We had a great year -- we just lost our last game." Or, "How would you like it if that were your son in the photo? How would that make you feel?"

They are both good points.

At the same time, photographers may argue that "moment of defeat" photos can be compelling and accurately portray the news of the day -- how the big game ended. If a team goes 22-0, is on the brink of a state title but loses, the players are upset afterward.

Also, the moment happened in front of hundreds or thousands of fans. It was by no means a private scene. Why not capture that moment and publish it?

The Morning Sentinel ran two such photos on the same day last Nov. 8, after the Waterville and Winslow girls soccer teams lost their state championship games.

The size and starkness of the photos on page A1 and the front of the Sports section concerned me. We received no reader complaints about them as far as I know, but I sent a "critique" via e-mail to the staff saying we should be careful in using photos like these.

The note said photographers should offer to editors who lay out the paper's pages and write headlines each night three or four photos from a big game, a selection that may include an athlete depicted in a "moment of defeat" photo but also action photos, perhaps a team hug after the loss -- images that aren't so stark and focused on one player.

The memo stressed that our copy editors should be sensitive with the headlines and captions that accompany these photos. This is no time for a pun or an attempt at humor. We are, after all, adults depicting high schoolers here.

We, however, did not rule out photos like these. One thing you learn quickly in the newspaper business is that just about every well thought-through editor's "policy" is met by a compelling exception sooner or later.

I sent the critique to some experts in the journalism industry to see what they thought of it. Bob Steele and Kelly McBride work at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Fla. Poynter is a top training ground for journalists on all kinds of topics. Steele is Poynter's ethics expert; McBride is the photo expert.

Steele agreed that sensitivity is required and that photographers and editors should look at an array of photos before settling on one (or several) images. He said newspapers should treat high school students with less intensity than how we portray collegiate and professional athletes.

But these photos shouldn't be barred just because a newspaper is dealing with high school athletes, he said.

"I can think of a number of possibilities where I could justify shooting and publishing 'moment of defeat' photos," Steele said.

For example, a photo of a coach hugging or consoling an upset team member shows camaraderie and strength as well as it shows vulnerability, he said.

McBride spoke to something else entirely.

"There's a trend in sports photojournalism to show girls being emotional (celebrating or crying) and boys being athletic," she said. "It's understandable. Girls maybe are more emotional. But it also reinforces some stereotypes."

Both experts said photographic context may be the key. If a story about a local team losing its championship game is accompanied by two or three photos -- an action shot, a photo of fans in the stands and one of an athlete upset after the loss -- readers would get the best idea about what happened at the big game.

What do you think?

Eric Conrad is executive editor of the Kennebec Journal and the Morning Sentinel. He can be reached at econrad@centralmai ne.com.

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