Are you a lens-based worker* who would like to add your name as a signatory to the Photo Bill of Rights? Fill out this form, and thank you for working to build a more inclusive and equitable visual media industry!
Whether you’re a lens-based worker, hiring party, or institution, by signing the Photo Bill of Rights, you acknowledge committing to a concerted effort to enact these changes in your practice.
*A lens-based worker includes (but is not limited to) independent and staff photographers, videographers, editors, interns, photo assistants, and photo producers working for news organizations, publications, companies, and other hiring parties within the visual journalism and editorial media industries, or “the industry.”
Through solidarity and advocacy, the Photo Bill of Rights is intended to empower individuals in the visual media industry to hold themselves and their colleagues accountable. We recognize that some signatories of the Bill may have caused harm to people in the past and that they may, in the future, act in violation of what is outlined in the Bill and of this project’s spirit.
While everyone in the visual media industry has a responsibility to build a healthier community that deters abuse toward others, the Photo Bill of Rights co-authors does not have the capability or authority to investigate or punish anyone. We cannot act as gatekeepers, nor would we want to as it is a practice that has long damaged our industry.
Therefore, we encourage every signatory of the Photo Bill of Rights to:
Take accusations of abuse seriously.
Understand the risks people take when coming forward with their experiences of abuse.
Never gaslight or further harm people who say they have been harmed.
Take actions that prioritize the person bringing forth allegations of abuse and centers the way they envision repair and reconciliation.
Understand that the Photo Bill of Rights is not a legal document and cannot be used to leverage legal power.
Use the Photo Bill of Rights and the network of solidarity to change the culture of the visual media industry for the better.