The observer principle.

A term from physics, it describes the situation whereby the observer would affect the event itself, changing it for what it actually was in the absence of an observer.

Journalists would be aware of this since it describes the difficulty they would experience when doing a story where that they choose immerse themselves into. For the real story, and what actually happens, it would mean that they really have to be there and experience the setting itself. In practical terms, it probably means to follow a person on his daily routines, taste the lunch he usually buys, wait with him on his long journeys to work, watch him interact with his co-workers, family... and all the while, just silently observing. It's another human's second best attempt to understand the culture, manner, speech, and what matters to another individual and anything else that can enhance the story that ties this individual to it. (A questionable first best, would be to actually talk to the person. But then again, people and questions are probably two of the most likely things that can change a person's life.)

In view of the Observer's principle, professional journalism probably has a rule that instructs journalists that decide to take this path of immersion in their stories to be unobtrusive. To bring the reality of something out and truly giving readers the emotional impact that the observed episode should muster, a true story must be told. Another way to say it, a true story is enough.

This uneasy feat of taking a step away from what is happening and not being involved in it at all raises several ethical dilemmas for journalists. What sort of information should be left out? How much of the whole story should be told? If certain parts were omitted, would it be considered a form of deception?

Beyond just the publication of the article, one of the most difficult ethical dilemmas concerns the Observer principle itself - when should one help?

If you are doing an article on a family who had lived on welfare benefits which would soon be coming to an end due to a change in government policy, and you go into the detail of how they live on the edge, watching how they grapple with the fever of their baby girl - would you decide to stay observing, or rush them into the car to bring the baby to the hospital?

If you are doing a story on child illegal immigrants and watch one be abandoned by his smuggler, see him desperate, crying and begging you for help, would you go ahead to take him to safety?

Well, the above logic was applied to journalists. But what about philosophers?

Respecting the Observer principle does protect the medium of awareness creation- In order to provoke, enrage, shame and engage the masses, no means of communication can be more powerful enough than the truth itself. To effectively milk on this truth, the story has to be untainted by a momentary saviour - Beyond the face that story illustrates, many more individuals can be helped. And yet, it does take a lot of wisdom in knowing how far a journalist can remain a journalist in the story he will tell. And along that logic, a philosopher cannot remain a philosopher.

To explore the moral ambiguities and morally helpless situations in such a light - perhaps those that say that God is not fair can take a moment to pause and see that morality really isn't so simple to grapple with.



"Neither condoning or condemning, I understand." - Dr. Manhattan, Watch Men

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