Image by Ian Morton
Rosem Morton is a Filipina photographer and nurse based in Baltimore, Maryland. As a National Geographic Explorer and a We Women artist, she produces visual stories that focus on human relationships and resilience in areas of trauma recovery, culture preservation and health outcomes. She is also a contributor for NPR, The Washington Post, Reuters, The New York Times and CNN.
As part of the Photographers Without Borders (PWB) ongoing “Storytelling for Change” webinar series, Rosem joined PWB Founder Danielle Da Silva to discuss the unique experience as a nurse and photojournalist during the time of COVID-19, the importance of staying safe and following the safety measures that are currently in place, ethics, and the power of storytelling.
Da Silva: You're in a unique position at this time to be both a nurse and a photojournalist. I'm curious what's that looking like for you, especially now during COVID-19?
Morton: Being a nurse during COVID-19 has given me a lot of good perspective, especially in safety, what kind of stories are important, and what kind of stories are getting left behind and need to be told. It's an interesting time, but it's also really emotionally tiring.
Da Silva: You posted a Washington Post article on April 3rd, 2020. It was entitled: Americans want to see what's happening in hospitals now. But it's hard for journalists to get inside. Some comments said that's the reason why people doubt the seriousness of the situation. You were quoted in that article saying that "journalists can convey stories in a way that doctors and nurses just can't always manage." Could you elaborate on that? Do you still feel the same way?
Morton: I'm conflicted in some ways. I feel journalists are important, especially at this time and in vulnerable areas. But at the same time, there's a big safety issue. They also quoted me when I said that it's not war photography, where you're just taking responsibility for yourself. This time, it's an infectious disease. You're just not taking responsibility for yourself. You're taking responsibility for everything, everybody around you, every time you take an assignment, every time you go out there. So it's a risk assessment on a case-by-case basis.
When I think about assignments, I think about what I'm adding to this story. What's the general conversation? Am I adding something new? If I'm not offering anything new, is it worth my safety? Is it worth the risk? How passionate am I about the story right now, and is it worth telling?
I have mixed feelings now with people embedding themselves in hospitals. I think it's important, but at the same time, health care providers don't have PPE. And those PPE should be allocated properly. So what are you adding to the story by embedding yourself that's going to be unique, that you need to take away those PPE from those people?
Da Silva: What kind of an impact are you hoping that this work will have, specifically your healthcare hero portraits?
Morton: With all of my COVID-19 work, I ultimately hope that it resonates with people how important it is to stay safe, keep social distancing, keep wearing masks and maintain hand hygiene. I know that since we're all isolated from each other, it feels like it's not real unless you physically see it. But it's happening, and a lot of people are dying. We just have to keep sharing how important it is to take it seriously.
Da Silva: What are the ethical concerns around photographing any infectious disease or patients? What are the things that you think about?
Morton: One of the biggest things for any health stories are the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) regulations. Health information privacy is super important, so you have to get the consent of the patient. With really sick COVID-19 patients, they're not consenting for themselves—sometimes their families are consenting for them. If you're in this acute phase in the hospital, you won't necessarily have the time to ask for permission. It's really tricky.
Sometimes I wonder how people are able to work that in. The work I've done within the hospital, there are no patients so the hospital looks empty. But it's definitely not empty. I've just found other themes, because HIPAA laws are very difficult to work around.
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