Dennis Dunleavy

Police "Ball-Busting" Tactics in Rodchester, NY and Viral Media

 A long time ago I remember my father, a former police officer with 20 years of experience, telling me that it was easy to be a "ball-buster" when you had a night stick and a badge. What he was saying was that cops get a little edgy or don't "feel safe" when their performance comes under scrutiny.

This was certainly the case in May when a 28-year-old Rochester, NY woman was arrested while videotaping police making a traffic stop. After her arrest, the video went viral on social media and the police are trying to cover up what appears to be a potentially embarrassing "black-eye."

 

 

Emily Good was charged with second-degree obstructing governmental administration for capturing police on video and then uploading to the web.Support for Good, especially on social media has been overwhelming. Do the police have the right to arrest a bystander taking pictures of them doing their job?

The law says that citizens do have the right to make pictures, video or still, in public places, but the gray area is whether or not the police feel threatened or that the individual is interfering with their business. I get this but Good was standing in her front lawn. Were actions provoking the police to react in such a way? The police say yes, Good and her supporters say no?  Now the courts have to decide. Who foots the bill for all the drama? Hmmm... taxpayers I guess.

News photographers and citizens, which may be considered equals in today's media-rich world, have the same rights. Camera phones and pocket video cameras, along with the Internet, have given people more power to document what is going on in their communities. In some non-democratic countries this practice would get them thrown in jail. Oh, wait... This is a democratic nation and people are still being thrown in jail. Smacks of not only irony but injustice.

Good's arrest is unfortunate but certainly not the first time nor the last time a citizen will be arrested for taping police activities. What makes this case interesting is the attitude Rodchester officials have taken in dealing with the public and more specially Good and her supporters.

One month after the incident, a group of supporters gathered at Good's home. Shortly after, police showed up and began to ticket cars that were park more than 12 inches away from the curb. Coincidence? Not according to my dad's "ball-busting" theory. Given the circumstances and the timing of the targeting of cars in front of Good's home, the only thing that comes to mind is police intimidation tactics. Good's arrest and now the parking infractions are sending the public the wrong message, which of course is all over the Internet. When confronted about how far one car was away from the curb, the police said it was one-half inch over the legal limit.

The problem, especially with social media such as YouTube and Facebook, is that police will eventually be left with egg on their face. Even if the charges against Good stick, she's already attained the status of folk hero on the Internet. The world knows who she is and why she got into trouble. The irony here is that the city of Rochester and police to not see the damage being done to its public image. At the same time, maybe Good is being the "ball-buster" here. Maybe Good needs to stay out of police business and simply trust them to be accountable to the public.

 

Rock Legend Rod Stewart Hosts Photo Contest

Forty years ago, pop icon Rod Stewart released his sit "Every Picture Tells" a story - something he continues to believe in.


According to Larry Little at Talenthouse, "Rod is inviting aspiring photographers to submit one original photograph that captures 'soul.'"

The winner(s) of the contest, to be selected by Stewart, will travel to Las Vegas in November and capture the singer's performance at Caesar's Palace.  In addition to travel, the winner(s) receive accommodation as well having their photos  featured on rodstewart.com and across his social media channels.

Osama bin Laden "Death Photos" No longer "News"

It's been nearly two month since the U.S. government announced the death of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Citing they had proof of the killing, evidence of these claims has yet to fully come to light.

Time softens the zeal for the truth.

Maybe the pictures would help put some closure on this chapter of the 9-11 tragedy? Perhaps the need to have evidence of bid Laden's death is no longer needed as the U.S. begins plans to de-escalate military involvement in Afghanistan? More than 1,400 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan since operations to rout out bin Laden began in October 2001, and with his the death the justification for the war has shifted.

The public outroar demanding to see, what have been described as "gruesome" images, has become a murmur. What happened to cause such apparent disinterest? Public support for viewing the death photos, according to NBC/Wall St. Journal and AP polls, diminished dramatically after President Obama addressed the nation on May 4. After the president's interview on 60 minutes, a majority of Americans, 64 percent, backed off from calling for the release of the pictures. As is the case with many major news stories once public interest wanes, the drumbeat of media attention also quiets.

Although the release of the pictures has lost appeal in the court of public opinion, over time court decisions base on Freedom of Information Act requests will reinvigorate the debate and help bring the affair to a close.

Photo Ethics: The Case of the Odd Brawler

The Los Angeles Times has an interesting article on its journalism blog about a Reuters photo showing what looks like a manipulated image. The good news about the digital era is that readers are becoming increasingly literate in suspecting the validity of an image. As soon as a picture appears in the news, someone, somewhere, is on guard for such fakery. While photo manipulation may be increasing, so to is the number of people calling into question anything that looks out of place. The Times' article does a good job at holding the news media accountable to breaches in ethical standards. 

Social Media Branding 101: Talenthouse, Brett Ratner and Creative Initiatives.

Photo Credit: Talenthouse

Social media branding is another break-through frontier for many creative talents such as Brett Ratner (X-Men: Last Stand director and Prison Break producer). Ratner is building his fan base and offering aspiring creatives opportunities through social media synergies. The artist, actor and director recognizes the potential of connecting with his audience through partnering with innovative firms such as Talenthouse and the trendy new magazine Treats!. Ratner's online competition encourages audiences to submit images for the chance to work as his assistant on an upcoming photo shoot for Treats! The project, along with four other creative Ratner initatives is a great way for aspiring artists to break into the business.

Increasingly, social media such as Facebook, Tumblr, Blogger, Twitter, and Four Square affords marketers and artists innovative ways to create unique brands and build new audiences. The best part of this new form of creative convergence is how audience involvement is not only invited but essential for success. The Ratner/Treats! photo shoot lets the audience not only select the winner but also helps to bring greater awareness to Ratner's diverse creative talents. At the same time, companies like Talenthouse, when partnered with such creative forces as Treats! and Ratner, help support emerging talent as well as a way to engage and maintain a widening fan base. 

 

 

Signs of the Time: Struck by Juxtaposition

One of the more interesting aspects of looking at pictures is in trying to find juxtapositing ideas and ideals in the interpretation. 

Sandwich board advertising has been around since the 19th century, but the modern variant is more streamline and techno-chic. Merchants hire packs of sign carriers to work their way through crowds depending on what they are selling. In this case, car loans and a car show. 

In this interpretation, the focus is not only on the use of human billboards but also on the physical juxtaposition of the yellow sign and the front of the roadster.  

 

Matt Black's Haunting Images

The New York Times' Lensblog is featuring Matt Black's "People of the Clouds" documentary work this week. What comes across most clearly is how Black uses his grainy almost ghost-like technique to convey a culture that is deeply rooted in the land.

Black's sensitivity to the people he photographs along with his gritty pre-digital style is reminenscent of the work of W. Eguene Smith. Smith was motivated by stories that captured the human condition in the most compelling and intelligent ways possible. The same can be said of Black obvious commitment to his storytelling approach. Many of his pictures evoke emotional connections, but there is also a sense of curiousity that isn't exploitative.

Many photographers approach making images of different cultures much like a taxidermist might prepare a trophy catch. There is a long tradition in photography of conveyingf people in developing and exotic lands as primitive or even savage. Historically, the act of making pictures as "trophies" of the other, can be traced to colonial times. Images accompanied pacification and the submission of indigenous peoples. The flip side of this argument is that photography preserved disappearing ways of life and culture.

There is this feeling that looking at someone, freezing them in a moment of time, that often reflect more on our differences than of our similiarities. Of course there will be differences, but it is the bond formed between the people and the photographer that is critical here. Black seems to approach what he sees with a sense of reverance, which is only more amplified through his method.

"Nice Photo": Image of Couple Kissing in the Midst of Vancouver Riot Refreshing

Richard Lam/Getty Images

The juxatposition seems so surreal. Richard Lam's image of a couple, in the middle of a riot, kissing. The Vancouver Sun called the picture, "Love Among the Ruins", but in reality it is more like "Sanity Among the Insane." Reckless acts of abandon captivate our imagination and bring a refreshing pause to the madness that life brings. Lam's picture does this brillantly. He nailed the "decisive moment" that speaks a universal truth reaching far byond the event. One day we may forget the riot, but we will never forget such an image.

Vancouver Police Look to Social Media to Round Up Bad Guys

Photo Credit: Lisa Johnson/YFrog

When the Vancouver Canucks hockey club lost in the seventh game of the Stanley Cup Championship Wednesday disappointed fans took to the streets to vent their frustrations. Such a reaction is a fairly common occurrence, but what changes the game is how social media appears to be fanning the flames of idiocy. On YouTube, Facebook, and most especially on Tweeter, authorities and onlookers a like pout, prod, and post to their hearts content. The police want evidence. The onlookers simply want the satisfaction of public attention.Why should feel compelled to submit their images and videos to the Vancouver Police Department  when they are already available through social media.

RT @andreareimer: 100 arrests last night, more on the way. #VPD asking for anyone w photo/video/witness evidence to email [email protected]

Smacks of frontier justice.

If the police can easily obtain the images on soical media sites, why would they ask people to submit them separately?

We are increasingly approaching a time when a "Turn-in Your Neighbor" policy may become the norm. If you don't like the neighbor's laundry hanging in the sun, just tweet about it. If you don't like the way someone looked about you in the grocery story, toss the insult up on Facebook for the world to see. Today, people racing around with camera phones to record a riot or a car crash has positive and negative consequences. It would be best to weigh both pros and cons before rushing to the police.

Six Packs and Shopping Bags

Photo Credits: AP (left), Wheaties (right)

Our cuture is obsessed with body image -- at least that's what marketers would have us think. Two recent representations of the male body stand out. On a poster for the retail giant Abercobie & Fitch, a six-packed model -- someone the caption calls an 'employee' -- poses with two young women or 'customers.' In another image, a man stands with a shopping bag advertising Wheaties and an idealized male form.

These images are powerful because they reflect something profoundly ethnocentric about our visual culture. So much of our preoccupation with body image is generated and maintained by captialism and consumerism. Our desire to "look" a certain way is fed by a culture of consumption, and we have the pictures to prove it. 

 

 

Authenticating Photo Fakery: The Case of Ali Abdullah Saleh's Picture Debated on Twitter

Shortly after President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen was taken to Saudi Arabia for treatment of wound suffered in an attack by militants last week, a image began to surface on the Internet. The picture showed Saleh being treated by doctors in a hospital, but readers are now crying foul. The picture is a fake and someone has an agenda many have claimed.

Typically, verifying the authenticity of an image begins with evaluating the source. Who made the picture, where was it made, when was it made, why was it made? Even before looking at the picture for obvious signs of manipulation it is important to establish a context for the picture. Once the context -- who, where, when, why -- is establish then it is easier to validate a claim that the picture is real.

This may be changing. On Twitter, members chime in about the image and why it is a fake. Readers look at details such as lines and shadow. In addition, they look for misleading bits of information such as words or graphics. Looking at Storify's tweet stream it is easy to see the diverse range of perspectives and opinions of people who may or may not know what they are really looking.

Credit: Storify

Social media, in this way, allow people to engage in a virtual court of verisimilitude. Although many readers look at the tell-tale signs of an altered image -- sort of like a Where's Waldo puzzle -- a more important determinant is motive.

Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are like barn yards -- whoever crows loudest gets the attention. At the same time, it is important to ground such casual armchair analysis with rationality. In this case, someone had a reason for posting the picture in order to confirm or reject the winds of public perception.

Funny: Washington Post Tiny Belly Ad and Anthony Weiner's Not so Tiny Tweets

Click image to  enlarge (really)

The Washington Post website ran a photo gallery about Rep. Anthony Weiner's alledged three-year spree of having sexually explicit communications with women in various online settings. The interesting thing about Weiner's tweeter picture (left) is the advertisement (right). It's just a coincidence of course, but both are selling body image. It appears that Representative Weiner doesn't seem to worry about the "tiny belly."

It is difficult for a website to control the juxtaposition between news content and advertising. Although they appear in close proximity, the placement of the images is almost certainly coincidental.

Not Funny: Newsweek Attacks Romney's Faith

The media doesn't give the public enough credit. It's got a chip on its shoulder when it comes to politics and religion: the public gets treated like idiots.

It's easy to poke fun of politicians and religion -- some news outlets excel at it. In the end, though, cheap shot journalism -- one that is not fair-minded, balanced, or honest -- represents the crumbling of a vital relationship between freedom of expression and democratic civics.

Surveys tell us that distrust of mainstream media remains at the bottom of respectability.

Now, instread of taking the high ground, and treating the public seriously, much of the media stands around wringing its hands. It's business as usual. But making fun of someone's faith is hitting below the belt. In the end, taking on a person's belief system distracts from electing a president with integrity and vision. In the Newsweek article that accompanies the image, the writer even asks if Mormonism is a Christian faith. There is an assumption here based on the image as well as in the reportage that Romney's faith makes him unfit to govern.

The media, like a school yard bully, plays a critical role in giving this nation a president "it" thinks it deserves. Bombast and senstationalism appear tools of the trade.

Trying to understand a complex issue is never easy, but there is no excuse for not giving a candidate a chance to defend themselves. . Not a lot of people understand Mormonism, maye they understand the faith less than they do Islam. Religion is often the target of satire because it is based on differing belief systems. Connecting Romney's faith to his ability to govern undermines the public's ability to assess his competency as a future president.

As many public relations specialists will say, negative press is better than no press at all. But there is something inexpliably wrong here. The digitally altered image of Mitt Romney dancing around is a spin on the current Broadway play "The Book of Mormon." The mash up is supposed to be satrical, and suppose it is. But there is something else at work here. How is possible to make an informed decision about a candidate when the media has already visually defamed them? Yes, it's funny, but selecting a U.S. president is not. The Newsweek cover featuring Romney, the dancing Mormon, deflects from a larger and more critical debate about religion and politics in this country. For decades the media has treated the two forces as separate, but politics and religion are hard wired into our system of discourse and governance.

The first repsonse to a critique such as this one is that wouldn't be the first time politicians have been accosted verbally or visually through media satire. During Obama's campaign he was attacked by the right-wing press as being a Muslim. The smear campaign was aimed planting a seed of doubt -- The attacked attempted to make a connection between the candidate and extremists. Now, Romney's faith is under attack because Mormonism is a mystery for many Americans. When we don't understand something, we make fun of it. That's the way it works. Guilt by association, or in this case faith. 

 

Suicide and Social Media: Paintball Journalism

The red arrow of death. Photo by Amy Gahran

 Suicides are not typically covered by the media, but in a time where truth and fiction meld together on the Internet, the sand is shifting.

A transformation is taking place in how news is gathered, reported and delivered to the public -- a transformation that is best conveyed by looking at the emergence of a two-tiered system of news reportage. Often this system seems to have the effect of a paintball fight -- the splatter of social media and the clean up of content by the mainstream press.

What this relationship also suggests that the first-tier or "first-responder" eye-witness account is more immediate, reactionary, and certainly more subjective. Stories are often shuttled or hurled onto the Internet through social media without editorial discretion. First-tier account also get "tagged" literally with keywords for impact, irregardless of whether all all the facts are correct. Many first-tier accounts  hit the Internet with the force of a tsunami even when the story is implausible or suspect. Such reports are often contributed by eye-witnesses who are not trained to get both sides of a story or look for "cause and effect" angles.

The second-tier of an emerging news system is more in-line with traditional journalistic practices -- a system where fact-checking and stronger narrative elements are the bread and butter of credibility. At the same time, the two-tier system of journalism, especially in an age of social media, is becoming increasingly vital to establishing and maintaining a constant flow of news.

On the Internet, space is not an issue for journalists. However, for many news organization the problem resides with the editorial decision-making process. Albeit a generalization, there is a perception that in the rush to scoop the competition on the Internet, many second-tier news outlets fail to ensure that a story is accurate, balanced, and fair-minded.

Despite the many benefits to such a two-tier system, there's a downside. In some cases, and maybe this situation will become more evident in the future, the second-tier sets itself up for the possibility of misleading audiences, encouraging unethical behavior, bias, and even libeling a source is clear and present.

On the Web, content is more maleable -- it can be put up, altered, and taken down in seconds. First-tier news reports can be pulled without much fuss -- something a print publication could not do without considerable expense and time.

The Red Arrow of Death

 Amy Gahran, a journalist and non-profit social media advocate, was riding her bike on Memorial Day near Almeda, Calif. when she spotted paramedics and police officers staring out into the water. An unemployed man, depressed and off medications (witnesses said) was attempting to commit suicide. On the shore, the authorities were legally prohibited from rescuing the man due to liability and budget troubles with the city.

Why wasn't anyone going to rescue Zack? Photo by Amy Gahran

Gahran took a few pictures with her cell phone, posted a few tweets, and witnessed the slow death of a man less than a football field off shore. Gahran's instincts as a journalist told her that maybe there was something more to this story. But in the end, it wasn't the suicide that became the story. It was government malaise and politics. Furthermore, Gahran's personal account wasn't initially intended for the national media. Gahran was writing for a select group of followers -- friends, family, and community members interested in the work she does. Nevertheless, once the story about how the rescue workers were prevented from helping Zack, her story played a secondary role.

After a while, Gahran continued on her way, but the few words and pictures she posted caught the intention of the mainstream media. The story took off, blew up, and is now history. 

The casual and and subjective language used to describe Gahran's image: "You cannot see him, but Raymond Zack was standing here, about 50 yards off the beach in shallow water."

The use of the third person in a caption is far removed from the conventions prescribed in the Associated Press Style Book. Clearly, even though trained as a journalist, Gahran's account is first-tier.

What also makes this story interesting from a visual perspective is that it relies on a personal account  rather than pictures to tell it. Pictures accompany the words, but it is Gharan's narrative that is powerful and compelling.

Editors use to argue that when words failed to tell a story, you could use a bigger picture. At the same time, without a picture more words could be used. What is presented as documentation that the event took place appears on the web with a heavy red arrow slicing the frame. The arrow points allegedly to the spot where Zack drown. The incorporation of a graphic element into the picture changes the meaning significantly. News picture are not typically accompanied by an "!" (exclamation) point to add drama and emphasis -- like a Jerry Springer stunt.

The use of the arrow serves only to undermine the integrity of the scene -- one which is primarily text-driven. The technique is glaring, didactic, and unwarranted. In an attempt to be objective the arrow sends the opposite message. Imagine a police officer or firefighter reacting to the drama emotionally and the photographer decides to place an arrow on the frame pointing toward at the face. Perhaps this example is a bit over the top, but if the image is already placed in a supportive role as juxtaposing the written account, then the arrow becomes gratuitous. 

It's not the first time a news organization has augmented a picture with a punctuation mark, but what makes this situation different is that it implies that there really is something out there in the water without showing it. The practice is almost fallacious and certainly uncalled for. 

While it would be easy to argue that such treatment is a form of photo manipulation and an ethical issue for journalism, there are other factors at work. What this type of reportage suggests is that on the web the traditional conventions applied to stories in many legitimate print publications appear inapplicable.