Photojournalism Between Journalistic Practice and Quasi-Legal Standards
Abstract
Visual materials produced by photojournalists increasingly play a central role in human rights documentation, investigative reporting, and accountability initiatives. Photographs originally captured for journalistic purposes are frequently incorporated into reports by non-governmental organizations, international institutions, and advocacy bodies, where they are evaluated as forms of visual evidence. This shift places photojournalism at the intersection of journalistic practice and quasi-legal evidentiary standards. This research article examines how photographs migrate from media contexts into human rights documentation frameworks and how their evidentiary value is assessed outside formal judicial procedures. Drawing on interdisciplinary scholarship in journalism studies, visual communication, human rights law, and evidence theory, the study analyzes the criteria through which visual materials acquire credibility, relevance, and legitimacy in accountability processes. The article argues that contemporary photojournalism operates within an implicit quasi-legal environment, where images are expected to meet standards of provenance, contextual integrity, and ethical accountability without the procedural safeguards of formal legal systems. By articulating the tensions and overlaps between journalistic and evidentiary logics, the study proposes methodological considerations for strengthening the reliability and responsible use of visual evidence in human rights documentation.
Keywords:
visual evidence; human rights documentation; photojournalism; quasi-legal standards; accountability; investigative reporting
Author: Mykola Khokhotva
ORCID: 0009-0007-4365-875X
Reviewers:
- Myroslav Ivanovych Dochynets
ORCID: 0009-0007-2018-0132 - Oleh Tytarenko
ORCID: 0009-0008-9343-0427
DOI: pending
Full Text (PDF)
Visual-Evidence-and-Human-Rights-DocumentationReferences
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