Will Smith said recently that racism isn’t increasing – the difference is that it’s being photographed and filmed – brought out into the open. Now we realise just how much of it there is. If it wasn’t for the filming of George Floyd’s death it may never have come to light. I have not seen many camera websites speak up for George Floyd – but I do know of one which is apparently censoring a forum member’s photos of the protests.
As you can see a long-time DPReview forum contributor today tried to share his photos of the George Floyd protests in Minneapolis, but his post was locked and censored. I also know what it is like to be censored on the DPReview forum (my EOSHD URL is banned completely) so I am taking up his case.
All of us who have a camera, smartphone or online presence should cast a light on the truth whenever and wherever it confronts us.
Such photos and videos must never be censored.
Why hide the truth? Why censor it?
A DPReview forum member since 2004 with 893 posts, Stephen has been covering dangerous protests in Minneapolis and potentially risking his life to do so. Documenting the truth and recording history. At the same time, a news editor sits safely behind his keyboard, writing an article about “photo journalists being targeted by the police” which you can read here.
And this is what is, in my opinion, so hypocritical about DPReview’s behaviour in this instance.
Standing up for journalists at Black Lives Matter protests, on their news pages… while removing a journalist’s photos of Black Lives Matter protests from a public forum. The article is in my opinion another shoddy piece of clickbait that doesn’t stand up to basic scrutiny. “Photo journalists being targeted by the police” is the headline, but in the article, the first journalist they cite had his camera attacked by a protester rather than the police. The second journalist got hit by a stray rubber bullet aimed at the protestors. There is not even an ounce of suggestion she was targeted as a journalist by the police.
‘Journalists being targeted by police’
In my opinion this kind of headline is a clear attempt to vilify the entire police as a group. Understandably, at the moment the public mood is like a tinderbox. Anger at the police is understandable. Institutionalised brutality and racism is completely abhorrent. All too easy then, for a headline writer to play up to the fashionable “F-the police” sentiment for some extra clicks isn’t it?
I think to vilify the entire police-force is unfair, not to mention dangerous. What the racist police squad did in the case of George Floyd and other recent racist incidents (the tip of an iceberg) is being photographed. It’s being filmed. THIS is the justice we need.
These vile, evil members of the police will themselves face the law because of these shots, and from photography and video come anger, but then action and hopefully positive change.
Without the photographic evidence George Floyd would have been just a statistic like how so many racist murders are treated.
“I posted images last week from the protests (in Minneapolis)” says Stephen.
“And DPReview locked the thread”.
“I’m risking my life covering this story”.
In my opinion, words and sentiment should match one’s actions.
How’s this for a challenge to my camera blogging colleagues?
Change the subject from cameras for maybe 10 seconds?
And take a stand, without at the same time being a hypocrite.
