Hi John,
It is sometimes a very tough call to make. You've got a dramatic picture, but at the same time, you don't want anyone to get in trouble because of it. In the case of my WM picture, I actually e-mailed a couple of videographer friends, including Stephen. Interestingly, BOTH indicated that the CBS guy was just doing his job. I had no idea that line of work was so exciting! I also reasoned that the RR Superintendent standing right behind him clearly approved of it and must have thought through the ramifications of having the operation appear on the national news.
I still draw the line at derailments, equipment failures and operational errors. While I have photos of such things, none will ever see the light of day. Despite their popularity on RP (they get a ton of views), I picture such shots as just taking advantage of someone else's misfortune. I'm constantly amazed at how many alleged "railfans" totally disagree with me!