Choosing stock photos without creating trust, rights or representation problems
StockPhoto.now offers a curated library of stock images with clear licensing details. This article provides a practical checklist for Hong Kong newsrooms covering relevance, stereotypes, attribution, model releases, and provenance to avoid trust, rights, and representation problems.
When a newsroom needs a stock photo fast, the priority is usually speed and cost. But a quick download can create lasting problems: a picture that misrepresents a community, an image used without the right licence, or a subject who was never asked to consent. These issues erode audience trust, expose publishers to legal risk, and can cause real harm. This article uses StockPhoto.now as a case study to build a practical checklist any newsroom can follow.
Start with relevance and context
StockPhoto.now organises its library by subject, collection, popularity and release date. That makes it easy to find an image that fits a story. But a photo that looks right may still be wrong. A picture of a school hallway might be used to illustrate a story about education funding, but if the image was taken in a different country or decade, it could mislead readers.
Before selecting any image, ask: does this picture accurately represent the story's time, place and people? If the image is generic or ambiguous, consider whether a more specific alternative exists. The W3C Images Tutorial notes that text alternatives should convey essential information; the same principle applies to the image itself. A photo should not imply something the story does not say.
Avoid reinforcing stereotypes
StockPhoto.now includes categories such as People, Beauty, and Fashion. These tags are useful for browsing, but they can also reflect or reinforce narrow representations. A search for 'business' might return mostly images of men in suits; a search for 'nurse' might show only women. Using such images without thought can perpetuate stereotypes.
Newsrooms should review image selections for diversity and fairness. Does the photo show a range of ages, ethnicities, body types and abilities? Does it avoid reducing a person to a single trait? The IPTC Photo Metadata Standard includes fields for describing people shown in an image, which can help editors track representation. If a photo's metadata does not include such details, consider whether the image is appropriate for the story.
Check attribution and licensing
StockPhoto.now provides 'clear file, source, download, and license details' for every image. That is a good starting point, but editors must still verify the terms. The site offers Free and Premium plans; free downloads come with a licence that permits commercial use, but the specific scope matters. Can the image be used in a news article? On social media? In a paid advertisement? For how long?
Every newsroom should have a standard process for recording licence information. Save a copy of the licence page or screenshot the terms. Note the image ID, the date of download, and the permitted uses. The IPTC standard includes a Rights property that can store this data directly in the image file. If your content management system supports it, embed the licence details in the metadata.
Understand model releases
Many stock images show identifiable people. StockPhoto.now's 'Physiotherapy' image, for example, features a therapist and a patient. If the people in the photo are recognisable, the publisher needs a model release – a signed document granting permission to use their likeness. Without one, the subject could sue for invasion of privacy or misappropriation.
StockPhoto.now states that its images come with 'clear file, source, download, and license details', but the research packet does not specify whether model releases are included for every image of a person. Editors should check the licence page for a model release indicator. If it is not present, assume no release exists and either choose a different image or use the photo only in a way that does not identify the subject (for example, as a background or cropped tightly).
For Hong Kong publishers, privacy laws are relevant. The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance applies to the collection and use of personal data, which can include photographs. Using an image without a model release may violate the ordinance if the subject is identifiable and has not consented.
Verify provenance and AI-generated content
StockPhoto.now offers AI tools that can 'Apply effects', 'Remove background', 'Resize' and 'Upscale' images. These are editing features, not generation tools. However, the site also has a tag for 'AI tools' and a category for generated content. The U.S. Copyright Office's Part 2 report, published in January 2025, states that works created entirely by AI without human authorship are not copyrightable. That means an AI-generated image may not be protected by copyright, and using it could create uncertainty about ownership.
The IPTC Photo Metadata Standard 2025.1 added four new properties for AI-generated content: AI Prompt Information, AI Prompt Writer Name, AI System Used and AI System Version Used. If a stock image is AI-generated, its metadata should include these fields. Editors should check the metadata of any image that appears synthetic or that comes from an AI-related category. If the provenance is unclear, do not use the image for commercial or editorial purposes.
Build a newsroom checklist
To avoid trust, rights and representation problems, every image selection should follow a consistent process. Here is a practical checklist:
- Relevance: Does the image accurately represent the story's subject, location and time period?
- Stereotypes: Does the image avoid reinforcing harmful or reductive portrayals of any group?
- Attribution: Have you recorded the image ID, licence type, download date and permitted uses?
- Model release: Is a model release available for every identifiable person in the image? If not, can you use the image without identifying the subject?
- Provenance: Is the image human-created or AI-generated? If AI-generated, does the metadata include the required IPTC fields? Is the copyright status clear?
- Accessibility: Have you provided a text alternative (alt text) that describes the image's content and function, following W3C guidelines?
StockPhoto.now is one of many stock image platforms. Its clear licensing and organised library make it easier to check these points, but the responsibility ultimately lies with the publisher. By following this checklist, newsrooms can select images that serve the story without creating new problems.
Sources and further reading
- StockPhoto.now stock photo library
- IPTC: Photo Metadata Standard
- W3C: Images accessibility tutorial
- U.S. Copyright Office: Copyright and AI
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Guest Editor contributing to selected features about working life and technology.