I think photographs can make an effort to convey the perceived, visual reality of a moment. It is still not real, and it is still not "objective" -- there is no absolute objective. But it is a particular purpose that is more unique to photography and videography than most media. And it is very different from most art, where conveying visual reality is rarely considered important.

Of course this is not the only valid use for photographs, but it is a genre of photography that is a not insignificant part of the whole discipline, both in terms of production and consumption.