Digital Imaging - Drawbacks

Drawbacks

Critics of digital imaging cite several negative consequences. An increased “flexibility in getting better quality images to the readers” will tempt editors, photographers and journalists to manipulate photographs. In addition, “staff photographers will no longer be photojournalistists, but camera operators…as editors have the power to decide what they want ‘shot’”. Legal constraints, including copyright, pose another concern: will copyright infringement occur as documents are digitized and copying becomes easier?

Digital imaging also costs organizations money. As the desire to preserve museum pieces digitally increases, so does the demand for experienced, interdisciplinary knowledge workers. Unfortunately, “probably only a few museum professionals and collection managers are likely to have” such skills – and many museums cannot afford to hire such techies or purchase new imaging technologies.