Campaign 'Anche le immagini uccidono' Challenges Exploitation of Migrant Images

The campaign 'Anche le immagini uccidono' (Images Also Kill), promoted by Redani (Rete della Diaspora Africana Nera in Italia), aims to raise public awareness and involve institutions regarding the indiscriminate use of images by associations and NGOs for humanitarian fundraising. The campaign was launched in 2015 and includes a video spot featuring Black men and women with stern, fixed gazes, evoking pain without showing graphic content. It also features a testimony from former Minister Cécile Kyenge and interviews with political and cultural figures. The initiative addresses several issues: the lack of parental consent for images of minors, violation of journalistic ethics as per the Carta di Treviso, the risk of desensitization from repeated tragic imagery, and the need to respect the dignity of people in distress, illness, or death. The campaign contrasts with the widespread use of shocking photos of dead child migrants washed ashore, which have been used on magazine covers and social media, sparking debate on whether such images help awaken public sensitivity or exploit suffering. Redani's spot chooses to evoke rather than declare, avoiding a 'second killing' through viral imagery.