Welcome to the latest edition of Chatting the Pictures. In each 10-minute webcast, co-hosts Michael Shaw, publisher of Reading the Pictures, and writer and historian, Cara Finnegan, discuss three prominent photos in the news. The program is broken into three segments: “The News,” “The Look,” and “The Pick.” “The News” examine a hard news image for its content value. “The Look” focuses on a news photo for its artistry and style. And “The Pick” asks what made a high profile photo so unique to editors or the public.
“The News” photo this week was taken by David Ryder for Reuters. It was shot at a nursing home in Washington State, the sight marking the worst domestic outbreak of the coronavirus. We discuss how the picture is a metaphor for the American government’s so-far makeshift response to the crisis.
For “The Look,” we discuss a photo taken by Jospeh Ax for Reuters. We explore the impact of churchgoers turning their backs on Michael Bloomberg in Selma, Alabama, as he speaks on the anniversary of “Bloody Sunday,” as well as the visual framing of African-Americans in the presidential campaign overall.
“The Pick” this week celebrates a photo series taken by Mary Altaffer for the AP showcasing women journalists covering the Harvey Weinstein’s rape trial. We elaborate on the scope of the images while highlighting historic details.
You can find all the Chatting the Pictures replays here.
The post Chatting the Pictures: Virus Cover-up; Racial Politics in Selma; Women Covering the Weinstein Trial appeared first on Reading The Pictures.
