The moral decisions we make when we use pictures of people in distress

Some things are difficult to look at – and that sometimes means we have to have the courage to publish them

As a picture editor, I source and share imagery which opens up a new insight into the news agenda across the world.

Photos are powerful. A picture can often communicate the emotional truth of a situation much better than a headline can – and because of that, it means that day-to-day judgement calls have to be made on whether the more hard-hitting pictures should be published. Reports on the child casualties of the Syrian war, the devastation caused to lives after the tsunami in Indonesia or a mass shooting, like the recent attack on the synagogue in Pittsburgh, are such instances where tough conversations have to be had on the picture desk.