Photojournalism and Bias
In this image, I see a crying man of color playing the accordion in front of a crowd of white people. The man is clearly incredibly upset. Some people in the back also appear to be distraught. They also seem to have an intense focus on the man. After looking into the history of the photo, I interpret this man as being heartbroken over the death of progressive president, FDR. I believe that everybody in this photo is participating in mourning the loss. To me, it appears the man playing the instrument is the most upset because FDR was a strong advocate for civil rights. This image is very powerful for me. It is touching to see the kind of impact FDR had on the lives of his supporters. I am also moved by the attention the white audience gave this man of color during such a polarizing time. In his video Photojournalism and Bias- Part 1, Professor Nordell says, "go back...to the late 1800's and touch on some of the origins of truth or lack of truth in journalism." I think that there may be a bias here in that the picture may not have the same effect if it was a white man playin an instrument.
Three principles from the Photographic, Artistic and Compositional Principles to use When Assessing
Subject's Expression: The tactic of a subject's expression is clear here. Chief Petty Officer Jackson is mourning the death of a person that impacted his life greatly. The tears rolling down his face are very intense and he is holding a strong gaze at something. It is important to note that the expression on Chief Petty Office Jackson's face is much more dramatic than of those on the people in the background.
Background compliments or detracts from composition: The background compliments the story of this photo. Of course, Chief Petty Officer Jackson's emotions do not represent all people of color's emotions, but there is a difference between him and the audience behind him. The audience of white people are there to mourn the loss, but it is unsure if FDR had the same impact on them and he did on Chief Petty Office Jackson. The emotions of those in the background juxtapose the emotions seen in the forefront.
What feelings does the image create?: This image creates the feeling of intense loss. It is important to note that the intensity varies, however, as the people in the background do not appear as intense. I also think it creates a feeling of unity.
Image A Truth
I believe this image portrays truth for many reasons. To begin, this was taken at the 2019 Women's March. In the crowd of women, one man towers over them. I see this as a united effort in the fight for women's rights. Not only that, but there are many signs that, I believe, describe former President Trump accurately. I have a biased view as somebody who does not support Trump. Others may find that this photo is untruthful, instead slanders the former president.
I used sense perception to know this photo is the truth. I am able to perceive the injustices that females face. I also witnessed the problematic actions of the former president. The Free Dictionary describes bias as, "To influence in a particular, typically unfair direction." My view may be biased because it pushes me towards being against Trump, but I do not think it is "unfair." In the article Bettye Lane: A Feminist Photojournalist's Arresting Images, "Lane's dramatic photos of thousands of women marching through Manhattan were dramatic proof of feminism's rising influence and potential to change society." I think these efforts are continued here in the face of adversity.
The reason I chose this example of a photojournalist image not displaying truth is because of the way it is used. I have seen images like this used to discredit the Black Lives Matter movement. I used emotion and intuition to decided this. It angers me when this situation is used to discredit the movement and justify others than cannot even compare, such as the January 6th riot. It is difficult to condone violence, but knowing that this was the inevitable outcome of suppressing people's voices for so long is justified by my intuition.
It is common knowledge that the protests that have turned violent is an small amount in comparison with those that were peaceful. I do believe I am biased as a supporter of the BLM movement. I feel the images like this are used to turn people against it. Even though people are fighting for a great cause, excuses are found to tarnish the efforts. In the article Yellow Journalism, W. Joseph Campbell says, "Another part of the explanation is that... it seemed to invite censure and scorn." The use of these photos do just that. In his video Photojournalism and Bias- Part 2, Professor Nordell says "in our image saturated time its of vital important to look at the biases of the publications that present imagery." It is these biased media outlets that use images like these to scorn movements they do not agree with.
Three principles from the Photographic, Artistic and Compositional Principles to use When Assessing Photographs
Texture: The texture of the fire is very evident. The thickness of the smoke is almost palpable. Together, it creates a very intense moment.
Contrast Appropriate: There is a lot of depth in this photo. The contrast allows for the silhouette of the crowd. It is done so that it looks like a staged event when in reality it is real life.
Does the image remind you of any work of art or photograph you have seen?: I think that there are many photos used by Right wing media outlets that are very similar. Even though I believe these protests have particular justifiable aspects, images like this are widely used to represent the BLM movement in poor light. When it is used this way, I believe these images are not truthful.
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