Phos General Report World Press Photo 2007

MISSION Phos is a non-profit and civil- society association acting in public interest and in line with the international laws to which Malta is party. Phos is aspiring to acquire an NGO (NonGovernment organization) status in due time. Phos concentrates its actions and initiatives on social purposes and is acting for the advancement of culture, art and heritage. The mission of Phos is to create opportunities for the general public to participate in cultural events, promote unity and diversity through art and initiate cultural cooperation with other cultural institutions and groups both locally and on international level.

AIMS To organise events where professional and amateur artists can meet each other and share their knowledge and experience. To create public awareness of importance and the power of culture and show how it is reflected in different political, social and international contexts. To promote interaction and networking by co-operating with NGOs, independent organizations and associations in the European Union. To support and offer advise to cultural institutions and individual artists. To contribute and participate in cultural events.

TARGET GROUPS General public, artist, cultural organizations, corporations and the media.

VISION

Phos is fulfilling its objectives by supporting local artistic initiatives and acting as adviser to local and international cultural organizations, creators and artists. Group members are developing new skills by participation and engagement in organization of events and programs. The ongoing research for new cultural opportunities and trends in art helps Phos to engage in projects that combine artistic value with social issues. Phos advocates the freedom of cultural and creative expression and acts to build a strong link between business and the world of art. Phos welcomes co-operation with NGOs, Academia, artists, media and any organization involved in the promotion of culture and the arts.

SUMMARY 2007 proved to be an exciting year for Phos. World Press Photo exhibition was the main project and the group focused their efforts on preparation and promotion of the event. Yet members of the group were also involved in a number of other activities. Malicia Dabrowicz participated in preparation of photo-sessions alongside The Malta Independent photographer Ben Borg Cardona (published in April 2007 in “First Magazine” and in May 2007 in the “Manic Magazine”). She was also responsible for running a column for the e-magazine “Image 12” and acted as the head photographer and editor of the catalogue for the exhibition “Grazzi Malta” that featured the works of late Norwegian painter – Olaug Vethal. The exhibition, organized by Christie X of Artitude Gallery, opened at St. James Cavalier on March 2008. Between university course and working with a local TV station and a production company, Marco Attard designed the covers for Image 12 e-magazine and participated in the filming of “Heroes and Villains – Napoleon” for BBC in February and March 2007. Alongside Malicia Dabrowicz, he was an active participant of Valletta Creative Forum – a series of meetings and seminars dedicated to the Maltese culture and art scene. Outside of Phos, Martin Galea De Giovanni leads another NGO- Friends of the Earth Malta. On that account he travels extensively throughout the year especially since he is also an executive board member of Friends of the Earth Europe. He also participated in the local activities organized by Friends of the Earth (Gaia Fest, Earth Garden, demonstrations etc.). His photos were included in the exhibition entitled Filfla and Toteninsel - which was inspired by the works of Arnold Bocklin. Some others were also published in local newspapers and magazines. Michael Quinton was dedicating the spare time to work on music: producing and recording the debut album of his band Spooky Monkey and writing the musical score for local theatre productions such as “Mercury Fur” and “Alarms and Excursions”. He was also involved in the activities of The Big Bang (a local comic group). Phos members also tried to support local art scene by attending various cultural activities: concerts, plays, exhibitions, album releases and seminars. In what can be regarded as a successful year for the group, one project had to be put on hold. Phos planned to host the head of World Press Photo jury for the 2007 competition –

Dutch photographer Jerry Lampen for a lecture at the University of Malta. Due to Mr. Lampen’s other work commitments, and in light of events that Phos had no control over (Benazir Bhutto’s assasination in Pakistan lead to Jerry’s departure on special assignment for Reuters) the event remains now unscheduled. Phos remains in contact with Jerry Lampen and hopes to organize the lecture in the future.

FUTURE PLANS 2008 opens a new chapter for Phos as an organization. Please find the list of projects scheduled for the upcoming months, as well as those that are currently being worked upon: -

Applying for NGO status (application pending) Opening a bank account World Press Photo exhibition (scheduled for January 2009 at St. James Cavalier)

For this project Phos is now promoting the idea of hosting the exhibition on the Maltese Islands again, currently the group is holding meetings with possible sponsors. -

Exhibition at St. James Cavalier – Phos is looking into possibility of bringing Oliviero Toscani exhibition to Malta (Benetton Commercials). Alternatively, Phos plans to look into possibility of bringing the Africa Works photography exhibition (Benetton and Youssou N`Dor campaign for Senegal). This project is being promoted and the first meetings with possible sponsors were scheduled..

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Phos and Friends of The Earth look into organizing a photography exhibition together (no date is scheduled as yet)

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Phos members execute their own side projects: participation in filming of “Agora”, (Marco Attard, April 2008), writing musical score for a play (Michael Quinton, April 2008), film funding seminar (Malicia Dabrowicz, April 2008).

Phos plans to achieve by organizing at least one major event per year. If for any reason beyond Phos control, the group did not meet their goals, the work on the event will be postponed on to the next year and new events will not be planned until the scheduled projects are either executed or cancelled. This policy has to be noted as Phos is a nonprofit group and the organization of events solely depends on the possibility of fund raising by the group.

STATUTE The Agreement was established in July 2006 upon forming of the group. The document is approved by the founding members and cannot be edited, actualized or changed without the approval of all members of Phos. General meeting must be called for if need for a new documents arises. The Agreement constitutes all the organization and actions of Phos members as a group alongside with The Mission Statement.

ORGANIZATION Phos (meaning `Light`) is a social initiative dedicated to promotion and organization of cultural events. Group’s logo was designed by Steve `Maku` Scicluna. It is founded by the following members: Michael Quinton (secretary, board member), Martin Galea de Giovanni (research, board member), Marco Attard (treasurer, board member) and Malicia Dabrowicz (public relations, board member). Although Malicia Dabrowicz can act as a group leader and representative; any decision must be agreed upon with the rest of the founding members of Phos. Phos reminds a voluntary group based only on dedication and free will of its members. The group is fully independent and is not associated with any governmental or private institution of any sort. Phos address is: “Ivy”, 29 A, Luzju Street, Sliema, Malta and the group email address is: [email protected] . This Agreement, Mission Statement or reference letters are public and a copy of it can be obtained on request. Each year Phos will issue a general report. It will be issued till the end of the month of June each year. It is written and prepared by Malicia Dabrowicz with the help of the respective board members when described.

FINANCIAL MATTERS There are no fees for the participation in Phos. In case a membership fee is introduced, its amount and frequency is to be agreed with the rest of the members of the group. In case the bank account is established for the group, it will be taken care of by Marco Attard and Michael Quinton. The same applies for the collection and fees if they are introduced in the future. Any financial operations (pay-in, withdrawal, payment, cancellation, transfer of funds etc) will be coordinated by Marco Attard and Michael Quinton. A financial report for the bank account will be included in the general report.

MEETINGS Phos holds at least one general meeting every 3 month, the presence of all group members is obligatory. Regular meetings do not require the presence of all members. Unless stated otherwise, the meeting place is St. James Centre for Creativity, Valletta General meeting is called at the end of month of April each year before the General Report is issued. The presence of all group members is obligatory.

ACTIONS Phos organizes the events by ongoing research in the field of art, looking for sponsors, networking and personal involvement in different cultural projects. Phos members can hold meeting with possible sponsors, contact companies and do research on their own initiative. The rest of the members need to be informed about the outcome of the actions.

VISION

Phos is fulfilling its objectives by supporting local artistic initiatives and acting as adviser to local and international cultural organizations, creators and artists. Group members are developing new skills by participation and engagement in organization of events and programs. The ongoing research for new cultural opportunities and trends in art helps Phos to engage in projects that combine artistic value with social issues. Phos advocates the freedom of cultural and creative expression and acts to build a strong link between business and the world of art. Phos welcomes co-operation with NGOs, Academia, artists, media and any organization involved in the promotion of culture and the arts.

WORLD PRESS PHOTO EXHIBITION World Press Photo is an independent, non-profit organization with its office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where World Press Photo was founded in 1955. The organization is controlled both by an independent executive board and a supervisory board. The Amsterdam office acts as the hub for a network of professional contacts worldwide - it is this network that makes organizing the contest, exhibitions and other activities on such a large scale possible. World Press Photo is known for organizing the world’s largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest. Prizewinning photographs are assembled into a traveling exhibition that is visited by over two million people in some 90 countries worldwide. A yearbook presenting all prizewinning entries is published annually in six languages. The ceremony at which the World Press Photo of the Year and the category awards are presented, is the highlight of the Awards Days held annually in April in Amsterdam. The awards ceremony also marks the official opening of the first exhibition of the season. Prizewinners in all categories are invited to Amsterdam to receive their awards in person, and hundreds of photographers and associated professionals travel to the city. The awards are handed over in the presence of government ministers, other dignitaries and leaders in the profession. Prize-winning photographers have the opportunity of presenting their portfolios publicly. The presence of so many top photojournalists and other interested parties is also the springboard for organizing discussions that tackle contemporary issues affecting the profession. Every year World Press Photo invites a prominent speaker to give the Sem Presser lecture on a subject of crucial relevance to the field. World Press Photo is also deeply concerned with stimulating developments in photojournalism and encouraging transfer of knowledge - organizing the annual Joop Swart Masterclass as well as seminars, workshops and other educational projects all over the world. World Press Photo 2008 seen 80,536 images sent in by 5,019 photographers coming from over 125 countries. In 2007 for the fist time in its history World Press Photo was hosted at. St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in Valletta.

PREPARATIONS Preparations for World Press Photo exhibition in Malta began in May 2006 when initial contacts with Mr. Bart Schoonus of World Press Photo Foundation were established. At that stage a general introduction to the topic was undertaken and Phos members decided to promote the idea of hosting a large photography exhibition in Malta. In July 2006 Phos acquired its statute and its members began to search for a venue. At that time a new contact with World Press Photo Foundation was established with Mr. Jeroen Visser, who supervised the project for The Foundation. On August 16th 2006, Phos received a positive reply from Mr. Chris Gatt, general manager of St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in Valletta that The Centre was interested in hosting the World Press Photo exhibition. It was also decided that the smaller version of World Press Photo exhibition (frames) would be presented in Malta. In November 2006 collaboration was started with The Dutch Embassy after His Excellency Ambassador Jan Heidsma contacted Phos. Members of the Embassy played a vital role in the preparation for the event, especially: Myrthe Kusse, Tessa van Berckelaer and Dania Burlage. In January 2007 full budget for the event was prepared. A series of meetings with sponsors followed. In April 2007 Phos welcomed C&C Express (representative of TNT in Malta) as a sponsor responsible for logistics and transport of the exhibition. C&C Express handled the crates with photos (108 framed images in two packages weighting over 360 kg) and the whole process was supervised by commercial manager of C&C Express, Mr. Steve Carabott. In May 2007 World Press Photo exhibition in Malta gained two other corporate sponsors: The Strickland Foundation (represented by Mr. Frank Bonello and Mr. Ron Agius) and Malta Tourism Authority (represented by Mr. Kevin Drake). Both sponsors offered financial support for the event. In July 2007 Dutch Embassy became the main sponsor for World Press Photo. Phos members promoted the exhibition during Valletta Creative Forum and as a result support for the event was shown by Malta Council for Culture and The Arts (letter of reference signed by the chairman, Mr. Adrian Mamo) and Valletta City Council. In Sepember Mrs. Manja Kamman- representative for World Press Photo Foundation came to Malta to take part in the opening of the exhibition.

Please find attached exemplary reference letters issued for Phos during the preparations for the event:

SETING UP World Press Photo exhibition was divided in two parts for the display at St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity. Main part including the Photo of the Year was located at the Upper Galleries, while sport and environment-related categories were placed in the main hall known as Lower Galleries. The reception also took part in Lower Galleries. Additionally two banners informing about the exhibition were hanged outside St. James. The set up was supervised and authorized by the representative of World Press Photo Foundation- Mrs. Manja Kamman. World Press Photo set up at Lower Galleries – pictures illustrated an article in The Times published on 22 September 2007.

In general it took 17 months to bring the exhibition to Malta. The project was discussed at 50 meetings and required a huge amount of correspondence: over 500 letters and 1000 emails were sent. Persons participating in the project have spent average of 4 hours a day on preparations.

SPONSORS World Press Photo Exhibition is collaborating worldwide with two corporate sponsors: Canon and TNT. On a local level the event was sponsored by the following:

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

The Embassy was the main sponsor of the event.

Financial Support

Transport and Logistics

Financial Support and promotion

St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in Valletta hosted the exhibition.

Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, Valletta City Council and University of Malta supported the project.

FINANCIAL RAPORT

Subsidies

Description

Granted

The Embassy of the Netherlands Malta Tourism Authority The Strickland Foundation C&C Express (TNT Malta) St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity

Main sponsor Corporate Sponsor Corporate Sponsor Logistics Partner

8000 EUR 4000 EUR 1500 EUR Transport, cars Venue

Fees & Rentals

Description

Rental of World Press Photo exhibition Rental for St. James

Package includes: Exhibition (framed version), air transport from Holland and from Malta, insurance. Venue for the exhibition, Upper and Lower Galleries Apartment for World Press Photo representative

Accommodation Reception Local transport Advertising

Guest books

Operational costs

Food and drinks for the opening Door to door delivery, ground level lifting, cars Printing of posters and invitations

Sending of guest books from Spain Internet, office costs, mobile phones, printing, travel costs, promotional costs

Cost

12 500 EUR (sponsoring) Covered by St. James Covered by St. James Covered by the Embassy Covered by TNT Covered by the Embassy Covered by St. James – 85 EUR 700 EUR (covered by Phos)

PROMOTION The promotion of World Press Photo exhibition was executed in three ways: though the contacts with printed media, online mentions and by sending press releases and promotional information. As a result of contacts with different newspapers and magazines over 10 articles were published prominently in The Times of Malta, The Sunday Times, Sunday Circle, The Malta Independent and Media Today. The first article was published on 10 of February 2007; the last one was published on October 6, 2007. The Exhibition also received an honourable mention on the cover of an in-house publication for APS Bank (The Teller, Issue 5). Beside articles in print, Phos promoted the exhibition over the Internet. As a result the information about the exposition was featured on the websites of Di-ve.com, MaltaMedia, MaltaRightNow, Malta Today on Sunday, Illum and Malta Star. World Press Photo was also included in Malta Tourism Authority news bulletin and mentioned on the official website of Notte Bianca and on the website of St. James Cavalier. Information of the event advertised on Malta Events (online directory of events) and Scaremongering.net (art forum). Online mentions (as pdf files) and printed articles (scans) were passed to corporate sponsors of the exhibition. They are available upon request. Exhibition was also featured in “Skrin” – a programme for E22 (Maltese educational channel) in October 2007. For that occasion, World Press Photo representative and supervisor of the exhibition in Malta – Mrs. Manja Kamman was interviewed. A copy of the program wasn’t obtained by Phos. Press releases were issued three times to promote the exhibition: in February 2007 (for the winners of World Press Photo), in July and August 2007 (to promote the exhibition in Malta), in October 2007 (for Notte Bianca) and February 2008 (for the winners of World Press Photo 2008). Over 500 leaflets and 200 posters (A4 format) were distributed around Valletta, Birkirkara, Sliema, Msida, Three Cities and at the university of Malta for the promotion of the event. Materials were placed at tourist offices (Valletta, Sliema, Vittoriosa, KSU office at the University), art galleries and centres (St. James Cavalier in Valletta, Artitude gallery in Sliema), local councils (Valletta, Birkirkara), restaurants (The Kitchen at the Sliema promenade, Café Jubilee in Valletta), shops (Vee Gee Bee art supplies in Valletta). Two banners were placed outside City Gate in Valletta and at the entrance to the St. James Cavalier for the event. Over 300 invitations were sent.

REFERENCE Please find attached below exemplary articles about World Press Photo exhibition in Malta printed in the local newspapers.

An article published in Sunday Circle, October 6 2007 (written by Sarah Puntan – Galea), includes information about the exhibition, Notte Bianca and a short interview with Frank Attard (Maltese winner of World Press Photo award).

Article for The Malta Independent (written by Kevin Casha, former president of Malta Institute of Professional Photography) was published on 29 September 2007.

Members of Phos and representatives of Embassy of The Netherlands (Mrs. Myrthe Kusse and Mrs. Tessa van Breckelaer) interviewed by Teodor Reljic for Malta Today. Article was published on 29 September 2007.

RECEPTION World Press Photo Exhibition was officially opened on Thursday, 13 September 2007 at St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in Valletta under the patronage of His Excellency The Ambassador of the Netherlands Jan Heidsma and Mrs. Marjolin Heidsma. The official part consisted of speeches by The Ambassador himself, General Manager of St. James Cavalier - Mr. Chris Gatt and representative of World Press Photo Mrs. Manja Kamman. A small reception followed for the invited guests. Over 100 persons attended the opening night. Among those invited were The High Commissioners of the United Kingdom and Australia, the Ambassadors of Ireland, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy, France, Belgium, Greece, Slovakia, Sovereign Military Order, Palestine, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Sovereign Military Order of Malta, United States, Russian Federation, People’s Republic of China and representatives of the Cultural Centers of Libya and Italy, members of Malta Photographic Society and Malta Institute of Professional Photography, representatives from The Strickland Foundation, Malta Tourism Authority, Valletta City Council and journalists of The Times of Malta and Malta Today. A special guest of the evening was Frank Attard - press photographer and winner of World Press Photo award.

TURNOUT World Press Photo Exhibition has attracted over 10,000 people, both tourists and locals during its display between September 13 and October 7, 2007. More than 6000 guests visited the exhibition during regular hours at St. James Cavalier, whilst an additional 4000 visitors turned out during Notte Bianca, which was also the final night of the exhibition. With a rate of approx. 230 visitors a day, it is one of the most successful exhibitions to be hosted by St. James Cavalier in its history. Many tourist visiting the Island during September and October period decided to see the exhibition as part of their visit to Valletta. In general people from 34 countries have attended. The list of destinations is attached below: Australia Austria Belgium Canada Canary Islands Czech Republic China Cyprus France Finland Germany Hungary Greece Iceland Italy Japan Latvia Luxemburg Malta Northern Ireland Poland Portugal Romania Russian Federation Serbia Slovenia South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Thailand The Netherlands United Kingdom United States

NOTTE BIANCA

Organized by Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Notte Bianca is an annual all night celebration of arts and culture on the streets of Valletta. Each year various cultural activities take place around the capital of Malta, most of them free of charge. World Press Photo exhibition formed a part of the extravaganza on October 6 2007. It is worth pointing out that due to the success of the exposition; it was prolonged to be included in the event. Some 4 000 people visited the display during the night, and the Exhibition was mentioned in the official programme of the Notte Bianca, as well as in the various guides printed for the occasion (“Events Malta”, October 2007) and also included in the Ministry report (“Malta Alive” report issued in February 2008).

Photos were taken by Martin Galea De Giovanni and Malicia Dabrowicz

GUESTBOOK There were two guest books available to the visitors during World Press Photo exhibition in Malta. Over 460 entries were left by the general public: 417 entries in the book placed in the Upper Gallery of St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity in Valletta (where the main part of the exposition was located), 42 entries in the second book placed in the Lower Galleries. Among those who signed the books were members of local communities, students (University of Malta, MCAST), representatives of political parties (Alternativa Demokratika), members of photographic societies (Malt Photographic Society, Malta Institute of Professional Photography), local artists and tourists (comments from 34 countries in 15 languages). Alongside comments and reviews of the exhibition, guest books contain links to personal websites, drawings, email addresses, appeals for peace, song lyrics, quotes, religious and political statements. Among those only four can be classified as negative comments.

TESTIMONY “Hope alone is not enough. Thank you for revealing the darkness we hide from and thank you for showing that some people can still face it.” “This extremely impressive collection brings to light a very small portion of evils of this world created by our leaders and ourselves. It’s a brave remainder of how much work is left to be accomplished and how the media has the capability of educating the `Western World` of this so called life occurring at our doorstep”. “Would be a good idea to show these pictures to politicians if possible without them closing their eyes. (It is) stunning, horrible, too real”. “My desire to be a photojournalist in the Middle East is no longer one that will be made lightly”.

‘Once again I’ve realized in what privileged circumstances we live in Western Europe: no starvation, no war, liberty of press, human rights…Lets all try to help make the world a better place. Thank you for the impressive exhibition”. “Thank you for giving us the opportunity to stop. Stop from our mad rush and reflect about the cruelty and beauty happening around us and within us”. “(The exhibition is) a truly unique experience. We would like to thank you for hosting this event in Malta”. “A very big thank you for making this exhibition available to the Maltese public. It is really inspiring to be able to see such a standard of photography”. “Shocking, vulgar, real. I have so much yet to see”. “Seeing things from a different perspective really hurts my human side”. “Amazing exhibition. Hope to see more events like this in Malta”. “Impressive! An exhibition is not to be missed because it helps us see the cruelty that’s taking place and how vain we can be!” “Keep the events (like this) coming and we will keep on coming”. “Excellent!! Exhibition that I hope to see it every year”. “Seen it in Amsterdam. Seen it in Malta. An Event I look forward to every year”.

SCANS Attached below are four exemplary pages from both guest books that were available to the public during the exposition. Phos tried to keep the outlook of the pages as close to the original as possible, that includes preserving entries made in pencil, drawings and style of the respective comments. We also decided to keep the original writing and spelling of the quoted entries. Words in brackets were added where it was impossible to read the original comment. Entries in the guest books do not only reflect their authors` opinions and feelings toward the event itself but they show the importance of projects as World Press Photo to spread the awareness about human rights and various social and political issues. Phos believes that the exhibition creates a strong link between culture and the tourism. The entries in the guestbook were written in 15 different languages, respectively: English, Italian, Thai, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, French, Maltese, Greek, German, Hungarian, Chinese, Russian, Polish and Dutch. After the exhibition, the guest books were handed to the General Manager of St. James Cavalier - Mr. Chris Gatt.

SURVEY SUMMARY The members of public who visited World Press Photo Exhibition were invited to participate in a short survey. They were asked a number of questions related to the displayed works, role of the media and the ethical dimension of working in conflict zones. From all the submitted entries, Phos then chose a representative group of 15 surveys. Selection was based on the following criteria: 1. Survey was submitted during World Press Photo exhibition (September 13th – October 8th) either in a printed or electronic form. The latter were received by email. 2. All questions were answered 3. Given answers were corresponding to the question and represented individual opinion of the survey taker 4. All the surveys were taken anonymously, only 3 persons decided to sign the form The survey was prepared to create the opportunity for the visitors of the exhibition to express their opinions and concerns about photography and the role of media. After reading all the entries and answers to all questions, the following conclusions were drawn: For Question 1 (“Do you believe that photographic record of wars, conflicts and the suffering can contribute in the solving of such problems in any way?”) 90% of responders believed that photographic record could contribute in the solving of problems such as wars or social injustice. Participants pointed out that the photographic record of conflicts exists because of the general public’s right to have access to the information. Exhibitions such as World Press Photo could influence people’s opinions and make them aware and alerted. It was also stressed that those in power (i.e. politicians) should see the photographic record as they can act to make a real change. According to the survey takers, the public should expect their representatives to undertake appropriate measures to bring about this task: economic sanctions are justified against countries/regimes that violate human rights, and more control should be exercised where weapons are concerned.

For Question 2 (“Is it morally justified for the photographer to merely observe and take pictures in situations where human lives are endangered?”) 70% of participants agreed that photographers can take photos even in situations where lives are at risk. Mainly, it was pointed out, because it is the photographer’s job to inform society and their help on the scene would be minimal, while their photographs could help millions in the long run. Survey takers also drew attention to the fact that it is always up to the photographer’s conscience and code of ethics to decide how to act. Yet, precautions should be taken not to overexpose human suffering in the coverage. 30% of respondents disagreed and claimed that if a photographer is engaged in a situation where lives are at stake (including his own) he should act responsibly and help. They also expressed their opinion that war images that show human suffering were justified as long as they did not bring profit. In the end it was mentioned that the press coverage can encourage terrorists to continue killings as long as they gain recognition. For Question 3 (“Do you find images exhibited at World Press Photo disturbing or too graphic to be easily accessible by the general public?”) 60% of participants regarded that the exhibited photos as suitable for general public, stating that the images were taken with respect to human dignity, and they represented real situations. It was stressed that the exhibited works had a powerful impact and brought topics of great importance to the attention of the viewers. 40% of responders found the images disturbing or too graphic to be easily accessible, especially for younger audiences. In the same time, survey takers claimed that they have been adjusted to seeing violence on a daily basis. One person suggested that the images should be of obligatory viewing for politicians. Another person didn’t voice an opinion on the matter. For Question 4 (“Is the media abusing of its position of following world events using the images and stories for the sole purpose of making a profit?”) half of the participants agreed to the statement and regarded the media be somehow abusive of its position. Although the media hasn’t been described as corrupt, it was pointed out that profit gain was its main concern. At the same time, the media was praised for its role as newsbringer; others believed that the profits were used to send journalists and photographers to various assignments. According to the survey takers, the media is also being abused. Organizations such as Al Qaeda use the media to their own advancement to spread their propaganda. The other half of respondents disagreed, claiming that media representatives have the right to earn profits for being a social conscience, working in extreme conditions, often risking their own personal safety. In a commercial world, even photographers and war correspondents are justified to earn a living. Only one person didn’t have opinion on this matter. The survey was prepared as guidelines for further discussion on the related topics and Phos hopes to return to the subject on the occasion of debate with Jerry Lampen – the head of World Press Photo competition for year 2007 – a project Phos hopes to organize in the future.