Grumpy Editor

Reno newspaper photog roughed up by deputies at fire

Reno Gazette-Journal’s photo director Tim Dunn, a 21-year veteran on the Nevada newspaper, was on assignment covering a fire with two cameras last week when he was issued a citation for obstructing and resisting while performing his duties, observes Grumpy Editor.

Dunn filed a formal complaint citing use of excessive force by sheriff’s deputies.  He said he was detained for more than a half hour after being handcuffed.

Attired in yellow protective gear, including jacket, goggles and helmet --- which  fire authorities say a journalist should wear for safety when covering fires --- Washoe County sheriff’s deputies, after an investigation, on Wednesday said he was cited because he entered an active fire scene without authorization and resisted deputies’ commands as they tried to confirm his media affiliation.

Furthermore, a sheriff’s captain accused Dunn of impersonating a firefighter because of the yellow protective gear he was wearing.  (One seldom sees a “firefighter” with two cameras at a fire scene.)

Dunn, in his complaint, said he identified himself as a journalist with Reno’s daily newspaper.

The 60-year-old photographer entered an “active fire scene” --- a brush fire that destroyed two homes --- because he was there for his newspaper.  And it’s hard to believe that a veteran photog, with more than two decades at the Gazette-Journal, was completely unknown to firemen and deputies on scene.

One of the deputies in the incident, in defending their action, said Dunn’s “continued refusal to follow instructions and continued efforts to resist us forced us to guide him to the ground.”   The photog said a boot came down on his back and a deputy pushed his face into the gravel.

See a photo of Dunn’s large scrape on his right cheek and on his right hand after being “guided to the ground” here.

Despite all this, June 23 and June 27 stories in the Gazette-Journal, made no mention of the publisher or editor backing up their veteran photo director.

A court date in Sparks (Nev.) Justice Court is slated for Aug. 1.

 

2 Canadian newspapers among world's best in design

Five newspapers, including two from Canada, were named by the Society of News Design as the world’s best designed newspapers, notes Grumpy Editor. 

The publications were selected recently from 230 entries from 39 countries. 

The winners:  Excelsior, Mexico City; National Post and The Grid, both in Toronto; Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung, Frankfurt, Germany, and Politiken, Copenhagen. 

Factors in judging included writing, visual storytelling, use of resources, execution, photography, illustrations, graphics, headlines and the paper’s “voice.” 

Front pages ran from four columns to six. 

With the National Post marking its third win, SND judges pointed out the newspaper “lures its readers in with a sultry beauty and then captivates them with an authoritative attitude that makes this Canadian daily a must-read.” 

In taking a look at today's National Post front page, Grumpy Editor counted only three stories --- with oil price being the top --- plus two photos.

What is distinctive about the National Post’s front page is that it’s masthead runs vertically on the left side.  See it here. 

FAS, the Frankfurt newspaper (in a glimpse yesterday) contained the most front page news with six columns containing 15 stories, including shorts. 

That came close to front page U.S. newspapers of yesteryear when front pages’ eight columns were filled with 12 to 16 stories plus art. 

Orlando, Fla.-based SND’s mission is to enhance communications through visual journalism.

 

Time editor finds breastfeeding cover art ‘whimsical’

Discussions on Time magazine’s current cover photo, showing a woman breastfeeding her almost four-year-old son, continued to bounce around television news channels over the weekend, observed Grumpy Editor. 

Time magazine selected the photo to illustrate a story on "attachment parenting.”  The cover art ran with the headline:  “Are You Mom Enough?” 

Focusing strictly on the cover art, not the story, many observers --- some pointing out the magazine is displayed on newsstands --- called use of the photo “sensational.” 

Even Playboy magazine hasn’t gone that far with its cover art. 

Rick Stengel, Time managing editor appearing on MSNBC, was asked by Mika Brzezisnki, co-host of the morning program "Morning Joe," if he winced when he looked at the picture. 

“I don't wince when I look at the picture," Stengel replied.  "I think its provocative.  It’s a little whimsical.” 

Whimsical? 

Going back to last December, some may recall Time magazine’s cover proclaimed “The Protester” as “Person of the Year” 

At that time, Stengel declared, “These are the folks who are changing history already and will change the future.” 

With these two examples, it looks like Time is changing magazine cover history.

 

L.A. Times defies military with GIs, dead bombers photos

Grumpy Editor notes after the Defense Department asked the Los Angeles Times NOT to run the images, the newspaper goes ahead and publishes two photos showing American troops, members of the 82^nd Airborne Division, posing with the remains of suicide bombers in Afghanistan in February, 2010.

Then in a follow-up story last Wednesday, the L.A. Times --- without blushing --- explains: “The Pentagon, the White House and top commanders and diplomats in Afghanistan have condemned the action by the soldiers and have launched investigations.”

Condemning action by the soldiers?

Some folks say publishing the pictures is another anti-military step by major media to trash U.S. troops --- even to incite violence against U.S. military personnel.

One can imagine how the L.A. Times, with some current staffers, would have handled advance hush-hush preparations, including activities of the same 82^nd Airborne Division --- with absolutely no leaks by media to warn the enemy --- for D-Day in World War II.

The L.A. Times says it “acquired 18 gruesome images” showing Army soldiers with dead suicide bombers and decided to run two shots.

L.A. Times reporter David Zucchino declares he “verified the authenticity of the photos through interviews with the soldier who provided the photos, with Pentagon officials and with commanders from the unit.”

That was followed by L.A. Times editor Davan Maharaj stating: “After careful consideration, we decided that publishing a small but representative selection of the photos would fulfill our obligation to readers to report vigorously and impartially on all aspects of the American mission in Afghanistan, including the allegation that the images reflect a breakdown in unit discipline that was endangering U.S. troops.”

Some subscribers may raise eyebrows with the phrase “our obligation to readers to report vigorously and impartially.” 

 

Newspaper reporter nears bottom of 200 jobs list

Journalism students hoping to don press hats and write exciting front-page stories should be aware that newspaper reporter ranks near the bottom of the worst jobs for 2012, warns Grumpy Editor. 

That’s something journalism professors won’t mention. 

A Jobs Rated Report by CareerCast.com puts newspaper reporter --- with mid-level income of $35,275 --- at number 196 on a list of 200 professions, between waiter/waitress (No. 195) and oil rig worker (No. 197). 

Newspaper reporter slips eight places from the last tally. 

Doing slight better is broadcaster (No. 191), with mid-level income of $27,324.  But the position drops 63 places on the list since the last time around. 

“Many jobs in the media are characterized by high stress, short deadlines, long hours and a poor hiring outlook,” mentions Tony Lee, publisher of the report. 

“Despite these poor working conditions,” he adds, “competition is steep for what jobs remain after massive consolidation and layoffs in the media industry.” 

Media positions ranking higher on the list are public relations executive (No. 70 with the media group’s best mid-level income of $92,156), advertising account executive (98), author (113), publication editor (119), photographer (147) and photojournalist (166). 

Topping the jobs list?

Software engineer.

 

Photo with Best Buy story skips electronics atmosphere

Looking at art that ran with a Best Buy Co., Inc., story reminded Grumpy Editor that some photos being used these days to accompany newsworthy events would have been tossed in prior years when sharp-eyed photo editors demanded top-notch, appropriate illustrations alongside texts. 

With announcement that Best Buy will shutter 50 big-box stores and open 100 smaller ones, an Associated Press photo Friday used to illustrated one of the consumer electronics company’s stores gave no indication it was a Best Buy site --- or an electronics showroom. 

Dominant on the page, the photo measured five inches by eight and one-half inches.  It showed a woman, perhaps a cashier, pointing out something to a customer.  But he is undistinguishable because her arm blocks one third of his face. 

The caption identified the store as being in Mountain View, Calif.  on Sept. 12. 

At first glance the photo looked like it might be geared for a remodeling job. 

The two people in the photo take up a small portion at the bottom of the shot which aimed at the rafters, four support columns to the Erector-set-type ceiling and the backside of a ceiling-mounted monitor. 

There was no indication (other than a blue top the cashier was wearing) that the scene was in a Best Buy store.

Founded in 1966, now with 1,450 U.S. stores and 2,900 worldwide, imagine the number of interior photos snapped over the years showing customers examining merchandise or standing in checkout lines. 

To that, add the number of exterior shots showing Best Buy “big boxes” identified by big splashes of blue and its name. 

An example of properly capturing the atmosphere tied to the same story: USA Today’s art, another AP photo, with the text showed shoppers looking at a wall of television monitors at a Best Buy store in Brentwood, Tenn.

 

Photos showing pain at the pump are pain elsewhere, too

Rather than repeated tired images of drivers filling up at the pumps and shots of gas station prices, print and broadcast editors should try something different to illustrate the soaring cost of gasoline --- run photos of U.S. locations were oil drilling or pipelines would alleviate the high cost and dependency from foreign lands, advises Grumpy Editor.

The aim is to remind Washington to zero in on energy independence in a country rich in oil as analysts predict gasoline prices soon could reach $5 a gallon.

U.S. field production of crude oil peaked in 1970 and has since drifted downward to the early 1950s level.

Lost in the shuffle of election news that dominated print and broadcast media late last week are comments from Jack Gerard, president and chief executive, American Petroleum Institute.

President Barack Obama “is misleading Americans about his energy strategy” in an effort to ease pain at the pump, proclaims Gerard.

“Since taking office he has declared 85 percent of our offshore areas off limits, decreased oil and gas leases in the Rockies by 70 percent, rejected the Keystone XL pipeline and has 10 federal agencies planning more regulation of hydraulic fracturing, which is key to oil and natural gas development,” reminds Gerard.

“The president’s Jekyll and Hyde approach to energy security is hurting consumers,” he adds.

“We urge the president to work with our industry to generate more supply to the market and create new American jobs."

Meanwhile, another result of higher prices at the pump --- inflation.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke yesterday (when the Dow Jones Industrials later fell 53.05 points to 12952.07) tells the House Financial Services Committe that "gasoline prices have moved up ... (which is) a development that is likely to push up inflation temporarily while reducing consumers' purchasing power."

 

Sacramento Bee nixes altered art, but not Businessweek

Two cases of “manipulated photos” in the past week resulted in the firing of an award-winning photographer at the Sacramento Bee but not much static with the other on this week’s Bloomberg Businessweek cover, notes Grumpy Editor. 

What’s going on? 

In the Sacramento Bee case, photojournalist Bryan Patrick digitally merged two shots into one showing a snowy egret trying to steal a frog from a great egret. The art was published on Jan. 29. 

Seems in the original image the frog was not as visible. 

Because of that, the Sacramento Bee charged Patrick with “violating the paper's ethics policy forbidding manipulation of documentary photographs."  And out he went. 

Meanwhile, the Bloomberg Businessweek cover in the Feb. 6 to 12 issue showed a digitally-altered Continental Airlines passenger jet riding piggyback on a similar United Airlines craft as the sun sets behind clouds.  The cover headline: "Let's Get It On." 

The cover story focused on merging of Continental and United “means endless decisions, from uniforms to coffee.” 

Manipulating photos is nothing new. 

Long before digitally-altered art, print editorial artists would enhance crime scenes or eliminate movie stars' wrinkles via airbrushing photos. 

Nobody complained. 

Now there seems to be some sensitivity --- or super-strict honesty --- in situations that don’t really matter…like two birds and a frog in the wilds.

 

First Lady shops ‘incognito’ in Target store near D.C.

Public relations folks at Target Corp. must be jubilant following the “incognito” appearance of Michelle Obama at the retailer’s Alexandria, Va. store, notes Grumpy Editor. 

It’s not every day that one finds the nation’s First Lady pushing a Target shopping cart loaded with household necessities. 

The event brought much media coverage for Target --- better then a news release from the New York Stock Exchange-listed company. 

An Associated Press story on Friday mentioned Michelle Obama was “hard to recognize in a baseball cap and sunglasses.” 

Sure. 

Snapping away at the mystery shopper from the White House was AP photographer Charles Dharapak --- who just happened to be in the store, just outside Washington, at the time.

Of course, the unusual in-store photo shoot didn't attract much attention.

Dharapak obviously spots a notable “incognito” person when he sees one.  A lensman working out of AP’s Washington office, he joined the news service in 1995 and later became chief photographer and photo editor for AP in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

From the news reports, shoppers and employees, it seemed, also did not notice a bevy of Secret Service agents in and around the store or the lineup of special vehicles outside the front entrance.

After Michelle Obama, trailed by an assistant, spent at least a half hour in the store, AP reported, “She was recognized only by the cashier at checkout.”

 

Creating ‘buzz’ cited in Newsweek's Bachmann cover art

The unflattering Newsweek cover photo of Rep. Michele Bachmann, (R., Minn.) who won the Republican Party’s Iowa straw poll on Saturday, continues to trigger chatter among media people, observes Grumpy Editor. 

The magazine's Aug. 15 issue features a close-up head shot of a wide-eyed Republican presidential candidate staring into the camera. 

Newsweek's bold, white cover line:  The Queen of Rage. 

On Sunday’s CNN’s Reliable Sources program, hosted by Howard Kurtz, guest Roger Simon, chief political columnist for Politico and former political editor, U.S. News & World Report, probably has the best answer in the photo decision by Newsweek where Tina Brown is editor-in-chief. 

Mentioning that “selection of the cover is very, very important,” Simon explains: 

“The cover was designed to have less to do with Michele Bachmann than getting buzz for a news magazine --- getting buzz for Newsweek.” 

He points out, “News magazines need buzz to survive" and the cover is going to whoever "gets them the most buzz.” 

The Bachmann cover stems from an Aug. 1 Washington, D.C. photo shoot by photographer Chris Buck.