Crafting Trump’s Hero Narrative: Media’s Visual Complicity in the Assassination Drama—and the Shoe Panic Explained
Now that Trump has spun the attack images into convention hype and marketing gold, we dissect the media’s role, address the problem with the bullet photo, and unravel his mysterious shoe anxiety. By Michael Shaw On July 15, 2024, former President Donald Trump was the target of an assassination...
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“Climate Ecstasy” and More: Our Photography Round-Up
It’s true—people value the pictures we choose just as much as what we have to say about them. By Michael Shaw One problem with our 24/7 media culture is that news that didn’t happen today or yesterday is treated like stale bread. That’s a shame, especially when it...
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The Most Cringeworthy Media Visuals After Biden’s Nightmare Debate
Nobody wants to revisit what happened on stage, so we focus on the media fallout and the visual framing of the first 2024 presidential debate.
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If This Summer is Anything Like the Last
If this summer is anything like the last, the climate crisis will destroy more norms, we will gasp, then forget, and photographers will continue to skewer our denial. By Michael Shaw Last summer, scorching temperatures shattered heat records in the Southwest and Europe. Lahaina, the historic Hawaiian resort, was...
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Blind to the Apocalypse: The Climate Emergency has Fallen Off the Radar
If the climate this summer is anything like the last, we will gasp, then forget, and photographers will continue to skewer our denial.
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Racism, Symbolism, Story: More Notable Images from the Campus “Free Palestine” Movement
In our second "free Palestine" campus protest post, we focus on the institutional divide and more scenes that challenge the media narrative.
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Crucial Elements of the Pro-Palestinian Campus Protests Overlooked by the Mainstream
Education, negotiation, militarism, human rights. Free Palestine campus protests have stood for much more than they have been credited for.
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Notes on that Transcendent Border Eclipse Photo
The image of the Border Patrol agent and the migrant detainees is truly inspiring. But what makes it work as well as it does, and what context and caution should we consider when thinking about it? By Michael Shaw In a striking photograph captured by José Gaytán for El...
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The Feast of the Arms Industry, and More Eye Candy
Nikita Teryoshin’s photos from arms fairs satirize invisible weapon bazaars. In our latest video, we analyze his delicious photos and contrast them with how the media treats military hardware imagery. By Michael Shaw Canapés and Cruise Missiles? Petits fours meet purveyors of war? Before asking what to make of...
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Israeli Military in Gaza: Are You Going to Believe Us, Or Your Own Eyes?
Despite the Israeli military's attempts to control and censor the coverage of Gaza, photojournalists continue to see through the propaganda.
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Later Stage Abortion and the Changing Face of the Movement: Tracing our Post-Roe Coverage in 7 Photographs
We trace the visual arc of our abortion coverage from the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg to a clinical focus on later abortion. Distress and crisis has given way to increasing transparency and resolve. By Michael Shaw Our latest Chatting the Pictures video, featuring Maggie Shannon’s powerful photographs for...
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Visual Blindspots and Media Bias: The “Disappearing” of Kamala Harris
While framed as “missing-in-action,” Kamala Harris tackles the hardest jobs and is everywhere fighting for social justice.
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Pictures Worth Noting: Extreme Symbolism and Arresting Juxtapositions
We're thrilled to introduce a new newsletter feature: "Pictures Worth Noting." Today's focus ranges from climate, to politics, to the border.
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Pictures Worth Noting: Extreme Symbolism and Arresting Juxtapositions
By Michael Shaw As I navigate endless galleries of photos across news sites, magazines, and social platforms, I encounter countless images that have stayed with us despite not making it to our main features. These are the photos that, for one reason or another, don’t find a place in...
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Fading Force: Has Trump Lost His Edge in His Court-Defying Visual Strategy?
Recent court losses are eroding Trump's ability to dominate the photo coverage of his legal troubles. Expect his control of the narrative to weaken as the damage sets in.
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Throwing Shade: The Disturbing Visual Fallout From the Special Counsel’s Attack on Biden’s Competency
The Special Counsel’s questioning of Biden's cognitive abilities has unleashed a raft of negative imagery. The media's use of undermining photos risks biasing public perceptions and spreading ageist stereotypes. It's crucial to present more balanced visuals.
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The NFL’s Shattering Collision With Climate Denial, With Some Swift Notes
In our video, we dissect quarterback Patrick Mahomes’s helmet shattering in an NFL playoff game, one more sign of the impact of climate change despite the media’s neglect of its broader implications. By Michael Shaw Call it the elephant in the stadium. Inspired by the Super Bowl, watch our...
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On Photography, Oct. 7, and Palestinians Under the Gun in Jerusalem
Philip Perdue examines Jerusalem news images after the Oct. 7 attack, showing how camera angles shape views and have moral consequences.
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