Ethisphere recognized Canon as one of the most ethical companies in 2019

MELVILLE, NY, February 26, 2019 – In its continual strive to take a proactive approach to corporate social responsibility initiatives and maintain strong standing as a good corporate citizen, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, received recognition as one of the 2019 World’s Most Ethical Companies. For the second year in a row, the Ethisphere Institute, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, bestowed the honor upon Canon as a company that makes it a mission to affect positive change in business communities across the nation.

“Today, employees, investors, and stakeholders are putting their greatest trust in companies to take leadership on societal issues,” said Timothy Erblich, chief executive officer, Ethisphere. “Companies that take the long view with a purpose-based strategy are proven to not only outperform but last. I congratulate everyone at Canon for earning this recognition.”

The World’s Most Ethical Companies assessment is based upon the Ethisphere Institute’s Ethics Quotient (EQ) framework, which offers a quantitative way to assess a company’s performance in an objective, consistent, and standardized manner. The information collected provides a comprehensive sampling of definitive criteria of core competencies rather than all aspects of corporate governance, risk, sustainability, compliance and ethics.

“For Ethisphere to honor Canon with this renowned title is a true reflection of the values, culture, and leadership that drive our organization,” said Kenneth Sharpe, vice president, corporate audit, ethics and business consultation, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “This distinction directly speaks to our versatility and dedication to help serve our communities through our advanced solutions and initiatives.”

In 2019, 128 honorees were recognized, spanning 21 countries and 50 industries. The thirteenth class of honorees profoundly illustrate how companies continue to be the driving force for improving communities, building capable and empowered workforces, and fostering corporate cultures focused on ethics and a strong sense of purpose.

Scores are generated in five key categories: ethics and compliance program (35 percent), culture of ethics (20 percent), corporate citizenship and responsibility (20 percent), governance (15 percent), and leadership and reputation (10 percent).

The full list of the 2019 World’s Most Ethical Companies can be found at https://worldsmostethicalcompanies.com/honorees. For more information on Canon U.S.A., Inc., visit www.usa.canon.com.

About the Ethisphere Institute

The Ethisphere® Institute is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust and business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies enhance corporate character and measure and improve culture. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its World’s Most Ethical Companies recognition program and provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA). More information about Ethisphere can be found at: https://ethisphere.com.

World Press Photo and Canon Make Change To Foundation

The following is from Canon Professional Network

World Press Photo Foundation revealed this week the launch of exciting new activities, including a new contest, a year-long talent scouting program and a new platform for debating industry issues. CPN Web Editor Deniz Dirim reports...

In the past year, the World Press Photo Foundation has revealed a host of transformations such as the introduction of a new code of ethics, satellite masterclasses and a brand new ‘Immersive Storytelling’ category. In a press conference held in Amsterdam on 26th October, World Press Photo Managing Director Lars Boering presented even bigger plans for the foundation in 2017 and 2018.

Presenting the press conference Boering emphasised: “It used to be one peak. The whole organisation was resting on one big pillar which was the announcement of the year. This year we measured the impact of the Photo of the Year and it had one billion potential views worldwide. But now, mapping things out throughout the year, making sure you are seen and active throughout the year becomes very important.”

For starters, World Press Photo’s Photo Contest and Digital Storytelling Contest (formerly known as the Multimedia Contest) are both opening for entries on December 1st 2016. The winners of both contests will be announced on February 13th. With the aim to be more accessible, World Press Photo will for the first time host a 2017 World Press Photo Festival of Visual Journalism in Amsterdam, the Netherlands in the two days leading up to the Awards Ceremony on April 22nd. While Boering reassured that the Photo Contest will still hold “the biggest place”, the press conference’s audience was curious to hear more about the foundation’s new contest for creative documentary photography.

A BRAND NEW CONTEST FOR 2017

In October 2017 the foundation will launch a new contest, which will embrace the role of manipulation in imagery presenting real people and events. World Press Photo Communications Manager David Campbell confirmed that the contest will recognise photography that is “literally constructed”. While the name and specifications of the new contest are yet to be determined it will exist in stark contrast to the prestigious Photo Contest. When asked what type of photography would qualify in the new contest, Boering cited Canon Master Nick Nichols’ beautiful image of a 1,500-year-old redwood tree – which is a composite of 84 frames – as an example. “That kind of work, it’s a single but it’s also part of a bigger story,” explained Boering.
During the World Press Photo Awards Days 2016, World Press Photo introduced the Witness brand with an effective campaign. Moving forward, World Press Photo will launch Witness as an online publication on the platform Medium starting November 1st. Witness’ five sections – business, issues, talent, skills and stories – will offer a dedicated online space to view World Press Photo’s latest activities and discuss the industry’s hottest topics. While World Press Photo will reserve editorial control of content on Witness, the foundation is looking forward to inviting external writers to contribute to the dialogue. Speaking about Witness, Boering shared: “It is a place where we can be criticised. You don’t have to be afraid for that. It’s where the debate takes place.”

Finally, the foundation is starting a new project ‘6x6 Global Talent Program’ which, by form of nominations, will pick six new talents from each of the world’s six continents each year.

Since his appointment to Director in January 2015, Boering has travelled around the world to consult with influential players in the photographic industry. He concludes: “This has been a result of working very hard for a couple of months. And it’s also showing that we have great ambition. We are definitely on the move and it’s going to take a lot of hard work to make sure that we fulfil our promises. But I do think that it’s doable and I also think that all we do there is so much connected to the basic principles that World Press Photo always has stood for; why it was started in ’55 and why we are still, in 2016 and beyond, very important.”

Founded in 1955, the World Press Photo Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The foundation receives support from the Dutch Postcode Lottery and is sponsored worldwide by Canon.

World Press Photo Winners Use Canon Equipment

LONDON, 18 February 2016 – Canon Europe, leader in imaging solutions, today sends its congratulations to Warren Richardson winner of the World Press Photo of the Year 2015. The winning photograph depicts a man and child attempting to cross the border from Serbia to Hungary at night. The pair were part of a group of people seeking to enter the country before a secure border fence was constructed. Due to the circumstance, Richardson was not able to use flash to capture the image, so the photograph is lit by moonlight alone.

The World Press Photo Contest, now in its 59th year, is internationally seen as the world’s most prestigious competition for photojournalists. The judges of the contest, which has been sponsored by Canon since 1992, selected one image of 82,951 photos submitted by 5,775 professional photographers from 128 countries as the winning Press Photo of the Year 2015. There were seven themed categories, and two long-term project categories, open for contestants to enter this year.

“We are proud to support the world’s best photojournalists in their quest to tell the stories that need to be told through this prestigious and highly anticipated event,” comments Kieran Magee, Director, Professional Imaging, Canon Europe. “Images such as Warren’s play a hugely powerful role in capturing the real impact and human side of a story and importantly, making sure they reach a broader audience. It is for this reason we’re honoured to have been supporting these awards for the past 24 years.”

Warren Richardson captured his winning image on the Canon EOS 5D Mark II with a EF 24mm f/1.4L USM lens. The winning photograph also won first place in the Spot News category. Other category winning entries taken on Canon cameras include :

• Aftermath of Airstrikes on Syria, taken by Sameer Al-Doumy on a Canon EOS 5D Mark III for the Spot News stories category
• FIS World Championship, taken by Christian Walgram on a Canon EOS-1D Mark II for the Sports singles category
• China’s Coal Addiction, taken by Kevin Frayer on a Canon EOS 5D Mark III for the Daily Life singles category
• Storm Front on Bondi Beach, taken by Rohan Kelly on a Canon EOS-1D Mark II for the Nature singles category
• Tough Times for Oragutans, taken by Tim Laman on a Canon EOS-1D C for the Nature stories category

As winner of the World Press Photo of the Year 2015, Warren Richardson will receive a cash prize of €10,000 from World Press Photo at an awards ceremony in Amsterdam on 25 April. In addition, Canon Europe will award him with the EOS-1D X Mark II, its recently announced flagship camera.

The prize-winning pictures are presented in an exhibition visiting more than 100 cities in over 45 countries over the course of the year and seen by more than 3.5 million people worldwide. This year’s first 2016 World Press Photo exhibition opens in Amsterdam on 16 April. This year’s exhibition displays will be printed on Canon large-format and Arizona flatbed printers.

In addition, in partnership with WPP a series of 80 lectures entitled “Reflections will run in cooperation with universities across Europe telling the story of professional photo journalism and the power of photography”.

World Press Photo Contest Announced New Code Of Ethics

I have been a wildlife photographer for 25 years using Canon equipment and never once entered a photo contest. These competitions offer me little satisfaction. I am my own severest critic and judge, always striving and take a better photo. You can see my equipment bag and works on MichaelDanielHo.com


The following is a post from Canon Professional Network, Europe :

In recent years, the photographic industry has called for clearer criteria on entering and judging World Press Photo Contest submissions. The World Press Photo Foundation has answered this call for the 2016 Photo Contest by publishing a new code of ethics, revised entry rules, and a transparent description of the judging and verification processes. The 2016 Photo Contest changes are part of a new strategy which the World Press Photo Foundation devised during a five-month review involving 17 consultations with photographers, editors and publishers at events in 15 locations worldwide.

Entries to the highly anticipated annual World Press Photo Contest are regarded as visual documents and are therefore expected to be an accurate and fair representation of the scene the photographer witnessed. The first entry rule concerning manipulation was enforced in 2009 and in the 2014 Photo Contest World Press Photo began requesting photographers submit original camera files. The challenge being addressed now is making contest participants more aware of what counts as manipulation.

Managing Director of World Press Photo, Lars Boering, says: “In the past two years 33 entries, out of a total of 240 in the second last round, were excluded, and one story was disqualified after the award. If we want pictures to be documents and evidence, we cannot accept the addition or removal of content, even if it is just ‘tidying up the image’.”

As photographs are at risk for manipulation during every stage in the photographic process – capture, production, publication, and circulation – the World Press Photo Foundation has introduced a new code of ethics and committed to continued use of independent digital analysts and a fact-checking team to review original camera files, metadata and caption accuracy.
Entry requirements

“It is important to stress that processing by itself is not manipulation,” states World Press Photo. That said, the new code of ethics shows that sensible cropping, sensor dust and scratches on negatives are among the few alterations in content permitted for contest entrants. Some level of colour correction as well as conversion to greyscale is accepted but changes which diverge from the original colour or obscure objects and/or people in the background of a picture are viewed as manipulation.

Those entries that have made it to the second to last round of judging will be checked for manipulation. Entrants who are eligible for the fifth and final round of judging are required to provide original camera files which World Press Photo will then pass on to two independent digital analysts. If unacceptable modifications are found, a 36-hour timeframe begins where entrants are given a chance to explain the apparent alteration. From 2016 onwards, entrants whose work has been excluded for altering content in two contests will be prevented from entering the contest for the next five years.

Captions will also be under strict scrutiny; requirements are outlined in the revised entry rules. As well as giving attribution for action not seen, providing sourced context of an event, the photographer must also state if he/she influenced the scene in any way. In the contest’s Portrait category which has been renamed as People, photographers must disclose in the caption if they “gave directions to a subject to pose in any way for a portrait”. Eligible photographs will be subject to an independent fact-checking team who will determine the completeness and accuracy of the captions.
What else is new?

The World Press Photo Contest has introduced an entirely new category: Long-Term Projects – Group. Entrants can now submit a photo essay which has been shot over a period of at least three years by two or more photographers.

For the first time all category prize winners (1st/2nd/3rd) will be invited to the awards and have travel and accommodation expenses covered by the World Press Photo Foundation. In addition, usage rights that applied to the Photo Of The Year winner will now apply to all awarded pictures.

To determine the photo contest winners, five specialised juries as well as one general jury deliberate independently of the World Press Photo Foundation during a two week judging process. For the first time, the complete judging procedures handbook has been made publicly available. Find the handbook, entry requirements, as well as explanatory videos on the World Press Photo website here.

Aside from the Photo Contest, the World Press Photo Foundation has announced that it will launch a standalone website in 2016, with its own publication name, which will act as a forum to investigate and report on visual stories.

Lars Boering concludes: “Now our team is looking forward to pushing ahead with building the online channel so we can showcase great stories and new approaches, lead debate, and connect visual journalists with the global audience that wants and needs their work.”
How to enter

The 2016 World Press Photo Contest will be open for participants to enter their work on 2 December 2015. The deadline for submissions is 13 January 2016, 23.59 (CET). Entries may only be submitted online via the World Press Photo entry website. A username and password are required to enter and can be requested until 7 January 2016, 23.59 (CET).