Category: Access & Censorship

Power, Consent, and Obligations in Photography

One of photography’s most important problems is the power imbalance between someone operating a camera and someone finding her or himself in front of it. Unless there is an actual collaboration going on, it is the photographer whose decisions result in what the subject looks like in the picture(s). I used “actual” in front of “collaboration” on purpose: unlike many other people, I do not think that having some chit chat with a subject makes for a collaboration. A collaboration would be a joint making of the picture, in which photographer and subject talk about how the subject wants to be portrayed, what the photographers sees in her or him, etc.

The attacks on press freedom in Portland

This week Dave Miller, who hosts a daily talk show on Oregon Public Broadcasting, interviewed “two very tired people”: Tuck Woodstock and Sergio Olmos, both independent journalists. Since late May, daily protests in solidarity with Black lives and agai

THIS WEEK DAVE MILLER, who hosts a daily talk show on Oregon Public Broadcasting, interviewed “two very tired people”: Tuck Woodstock and Sergio Olmos, both independent journalists. Since late May, daily protests in solidarity with Black lives and against police brutality have taken place in Portland. Local outlets have often sent reporters, but not to cover every protest; mainstream national outlets mostly ignored Portland until last week, when OPB reported that federal agents in unmarked vehicles were snatching protesters off the streets. By contrast, freelancers like Woodstock and Olmos have been out night after night, documenting the scene.

A Seattle judge ruled 5 news outlets, including The Seattle Times, must give photos and video of protests to police - Poynter

A legal expert said the ruling creates a 'troubling precedent' that could make news media unwelcome at future protests.

A Seattle judge ruled Friday five news outlets must turn over unreleased photos and videos from a late May protest to local law enforcement. The Seattle Police Department believes the raw footage would help solve an ongoing arson and theft investigation, but First Amendment lawyers believe the ruling is troubling.

Opinion | Why Does the N.Y.P.D. Want to Punish Journalists?

The Police Department’s proposed new rules threaten press freedom.

“Let’s revoke the NYPD’s ability to issue press credentials entirely. They’ve repeatedly proven that they are unwilling and unable to oversee a legitimate process,” Scott Stringer, the city’s comptroller, tweeted. Keith Powers, a City Council member, tweeted that he was considering legislation that would move credentialing to a new agency.

Photographers Grapple With ‘Informed Consent’ in Uprising

A Photo Bill of Right's language about “informed consent” has caused a stir among journalists.

A new Photo Bill of Rights, inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic and the current uprising against police brutality, has caused fissures in the American photojournalism community and raised an important question about “informed consent” in photographing protesters.

Visualizing Police Violence Against Journalists At Protests Across The U.S - bellingcat

After watching the gruesome killing of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police Department Officer Derek Chauvin — the officer who put his knee on Floyd’s neck for almost 9 minutes — the United States has broken out in a rage. Protestors are fillin

We plotted all of this data onto an interactive map. You can use this map to visualize where these incidents happened in space and time, and notice some areas where multiple instances happened over the course of a protest. This indicates these were not “one time incidents” or accidents due to journalists getting in the way. There is evidence here of systematic and conscious repression of the press at these protests, in cities all across the country — and the data that has been collected is the proof.

Photojournalists Assaulted During 2020 Protests - PhotoShelter Blog

This is a rolling list of assaults against photojournalists by police and protestors covering the George Floyd protests around the country. Some of the data is pulled from the Freedom of the Press Foundation’s list. This list does not include detainment w

Attacks on media covering the protests are simply following the president’s rhetoric - Poynter

When President Trump, the leader of the free world, disrespects the press, why should we expect citizens to respect them?

For his entire administration, Trump has continually bashed the media — calling it “lamestream” and “fake news” and, worse of all, “the enemy of the people.” Perhaps then it should come as no surprise that the media was a target for violence and attacks all over the nation during its coverage of the protests.

The police abuses the press. Again.

On Friday night—as mass protests sparked by the deaths of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, and Black Americans in Kentucky, Georgia, and elsewhere convulsed America—anchors with WAVE 3 News, the NBC affiliate in Louisville, Kentucky, were conversing on ai

ON FRIDAY NIGHT—as mass protests sparked by the deaths of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, and Black Americans in Kentucky, Georgia, and elsewhere convulsed America—anchors with WAVE 3 News, the NBC affiliate in Louisville, Kentucky, were conversing on air with Kaitlin Rust, a reporter who was out covering protests in the city, when Rust cried out twice. “I’m getting shot,” she shouted. Police, Rust said, were firing pepper balls at her. WAVE’s camera zoomed in on one officer, who cocked his gun and fired multiple rounds back at the camera.

Journalists covering nights of protests and unrest found themselves under attack - Poynter

On any given day, any one of these attacks would be newsworthy. Friday night, they were numerous.