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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
So, Zoriah called me today
Brian Blanco, Photographer
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Tampa / Sarasota | FL | USA | Posted: 12:13 AM on 02.11.10 |
->> A few days ago I created a Facebook page called, “Responsible Photojournalists against Zoriah’s 4K Photo Workshop in Haiti”. I created the page after reading his very defensive (and borderline offensive) blog entries about the workshop because I got the impression that he felt that only a small, vocal, minority in our industry were taking issue with his proposed workshop. I felt that by creating the group and allowing others to join, he’d see the names and faces of other professionals who felt that his workshop, as proposed, was inappropriate.
Yesterday, on Zoriah’s blog, I made it clear that it was NOT and anti-Zoriah group, but rather an online petition of sorts against the workshop itself. I then invited him to call me so we could discuss it and bounce some ideas around. To his credit, earlier today he accept the invitation and did in fact call me.
Nobody is more surprised than I was that the conversation was not only cordial, but also, in the end, quite productive as well. We spoke for nearly an hour during which time I explained my point of view, which is:
That essentially, when victims of disasters allow us to intrude on their pain, suffering and hardships, they’re usually consenting only because they believe that we, as journalists are engaged in the very noble act of recording information in an effort to tell their story. It’s not easy for people to allow us in to photograph the most painful moments of their lives but victims, yes, even poor, uneducated victims from developing nations understand that when we do intrude, we’re doing it for a greater good.
For a group of students to tag along with Zoriah, descending in mass, on a small village, hospital or tent city, and pointing their cameras at everything that moves, bleeds or cries, they’re essentially misrepresenting themselves as photojournalists, and as such are obtaining what amounts to a false consent from these victims who allow them to intrude. I say “false consent” because we all know, full well, that these students likely have no outlet to publish their images. They’re just using the victims as photographic props with no real intention of telling their story, but rather just to pad their portfolio and impress their friends with what amount to snap shots and tall tails of their time “in country”.
These victims have been through a lot and they deserve to be left alone by photographers who have no intention to, or avenue with which to, publish their stories and that’s my main point.
It’s easy to get caught up in the discussion of whether or not Zoriah over-tones his images, or whether of not he’s a narcissist, or what list he does or doesn’t belong on. I frankly don’t care about ANY of that stuff. I care about disaster victims being taken advantage of by camera enthusiasts, cowboys and glory seekers masquerading as well-intentioned photojournalists.
That’s MY take. Here’s what I gathered from Zoriah is his take (call me back Zoriah and let me know if I’m misrepresenting your side and I’ll correct it):
First of all he tells me that it was always his intention to donate half of the students’ tuition to the victims and that the only reason he didn’t announce that before the outcry was that he didn’t want the intended recipients to get too excited about the money coming in the event that he didn’t get any student to sign up. That’s what he says and I’ve agreed to take him at his word on this.
He also believes that by taking students into a disaster like this, that they’ll be changed forever, for the better, and walk away from the experience more enlightened and even if they don’t go on to become PJs that they may go on to become aid workers or find a way to help in some way in the future. He says that this was his primary motivation.
He also says that his intention was to limit enrolment to 4 students max but that he anticipated realistically only having 2 students which would make the group more manageable. He also assures me that he would thoroughly screen the prospective students and turn away any “war tourist” types (the quote is mine, not his) or people he felt were not well intentioned or up to the task.
He has also agreed that having an outlet to publish the students’ work would help to quell some of the outrage and has agreed, if he were to go forward with a workshop, to create, at the minimum, a website to publish the students’ work product from the trip.
Again, all of these things are things I’ll take him at his word on, but here’s the biggy. Zoriah claims, and I believe he’s being sincere, that he wants our input as to how he can change the structure of the workshop to make it acceptable, productive and insure that it causes no harm.
I’m not Zoriah’s apologist, he and I are still VERY far apart on this issue and despite having a cordial conversation earlier I still question his original motivations, but if he’s asking for input and agreeing to (as he advised me earlier that he will) suspend the proposed workshop then I think we could begin to offer constructive ideas. It may be that your constructive idea is that he not hold the workshop at all, and I'd tend to agree with you on that. I personally would have a hard time with any variation of a workshop like this, but he says he’s open to receiving emails with your ideas, which, regardless of what many of us feel about him, is at least a first step.
I told him I would post this, and now I have. |
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Michael Ip, Photographer
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New York | NY | USA | Posted: 12:25 AM on 02.11.10 |
->> I think this whole ordeal has been good for all parties. Zoriah has received some very harsh, but constructive criticism. If he is sincere in his response, I am sure he has learned a thing or two from this. As a journalism community I think we reaffirmed our strong code of ethics and belief that our jobs are not to intrude and endure suffering, but to help alleviate that suffering and perhaps teach contemporaries and following generations a lesson.
I haven't participated in many of the discussions, but I have read all of them on here and Lightstalkers. I'm not surprised that many journalists were up in arms because our credibility is all that we have. If we are seen as opportunists or heartless hacks, we have failed in our profession and can never recuperate. |
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Doug Strickland, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Danville | KY | USA | Posted: 12:26 AM on 02.11.10 |
->> "He has also agreed that having an outlet to publish the students’ work would help to quell some of the outrage and has agreed, if he were to go forward with a workshop, to create, at the minimum, a website to publish the students’ work product from the trip. "
This is one of the biggest problems I have with his whole "workshop" idea, though there are others. Without the ability to report (and, more than this, the desire to report), the students he will have tagging along with him will not be journalists and will be nothing more than people pointing cameras in the faces of the suffering for their own gain. I am not at all OK with this idea, and it seems like the creation of a web site to show off his workshop's work is more promotional for Zoriah than it is journalistic.
I do appreciate that he called you, and I do hope that he listens to what reasonable photojournalists are saying, but I honestly don't think that he will or that he can. |
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Nic Coury, Photographer
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Monterey | CA | | Posted: 12:32 AM on 02.11.10 |
->> hey Brian,
Thanks for the post.
This doesn't make everything "ok," but explains it a tad better with the parties involved.
Still not sure if I like the guy or if what he is doing is right or my stand on the whole damn thing, but it keeps me thinking.
~ nic |
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Brian Blanco, Photographer
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Tampa / Sarasota | FL | USA | Posted: 1:17 AM on 02.11.10 |
->> I just got this email from Zoriah so, with his permission I'll post it here so that I don't mess up anything in the translation:
"Brian,
Thanks for the post, I believe it is very fair. Just one correction though: I did not actually agree to suspend the workshop, I still believe that it is important and if all potential students were not scared away, I would go forward with it. I doubt that it will end up happening, but I still stand by it and if I am in another situation where I have covered the aftermath of a natural disaster and believe I can help students learn to document in that particular situation, I would most likely do it all over again...of course I would go about it a bit differently and incorporate some new ideas etc. Anyway, just wanted to mention that.
Once again I thank you for your time and wish you nothing but the best.
Cheers,
zoriah" |
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N. Scott Trimble, Photographer
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Lake Oswego | OR | USA | Posted: 3:16 AM on 02.11.10 |
->> I've been on the fence about this whole thing mostly because with journalism changing so much, so quickly, whose to say he isn't reflecting what the business, and future pj's are going to experience as they cut their teeth?
In my pj class, our professor, when he wasn't burping up bourbon vapors in class, (and I am not exaggerating) encouraged us to find whatever was happening on campus, not so much the community, now that same class has trips to the Arizona Mexico border and beyond for stories.
A few years ago, I tore my arm wide open raking leaves while up in a tree (yeah, sounds the punchline of a bad joke, but its a long story for another time) and while I was getting prepped for the 35 stitches I had to have, the doc brought in a class of interns to watch. Yeah, it was weird, but necessary, because they were learning in the field. The doctor was skilled in both the procedure and the my sensitivity in regards to the interns. If Zoriah stresses the same to his workshop attendees, perhaps he will turn out better pj's than some of who are on the site?
Perspective, emotion, the ability to think along the same predictable patterns your brain trained itself to do on the job changes in a situation like Haiti, Rwanda, or any number of conflict zones you might be lucky enough to have the opportunity to present to the world, perhaps a workshop is a good way to work and train to be the RIGHT kind of journalist to be there.
Again, I am not advocating him, I don't enough about him to speculate either way, but the concept isn't without merit, and if done right, might be worthwhile after all. |
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Brian Blanco, Photographer
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Tampa / Sarasota | FL | USA | Posted: 7:12 AM on 02.11.10 |
| ->> Scott, I have to admit you bring up an interesting, and valid, point with the med-student example. |
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Mike Burley, Photographer
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Chicago | IL | USA | Posted: 10:50 AM on 02.11.10 |
->> "He also believes that by taking students into a disaster like this, that they’ll be changed forever, for the better, and walk away from the experience more enlightened and even if they don’t go on to become PJs that they may go on to become aid workers or find a way to help in some way in the future."
Why not get that same life experience by actually delivering aid or joining peace corps? |
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N. Scott Trimble, Photographer
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Lake Oswego | OR | USA | Posted: 11:44 AM on 02.11.10 |
->> Because he's a photographer who wants to do photojournalism?
Like Me? Like You? Doesn't being and helping produce good, viable photojournalists help as much getting the stories out to the regular people help at the very least like delivering aid or peace corps? |
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Geoff Miller, Photographer
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Portage | MI | USA | Posted: 11:48 AM on 02.11.10 |
->> Scott, Interesting analogy, but I think there's a likely key difference. I don't know about your case, but I and my wife have been in that situation during hospitalizations before. In each instance the Doctor sought and received our explicit permission before the med students were brought into our rooms.
In regards to the workshop in question, no matter the explanation, I just cannot make the "sliminess" go away in my mind. To me, the "tag-alongs" simply don't need to be there and even if the organizer is only keeping "some" of the profits to help support future business ventures I don't know how you can't call it questionable "profiteering". |
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Mike Burley, Photographer
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Chicago | IL | USA | Posted: 12:08 PM on 02.11.10 |
| ->> Scott -There are many other ways to become a better journalist. He makes it seem like being a place like Haiti is the only way to gain this "worldly" experience. Im all about making better journalists, but not like this... |
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Greg Kendall-Ball, Photographer, Assistant
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Abilene | TX | USA | Posted: 12:08 PM on 02.11.10 |
->> I think the relative closeness of Haiti is also a factor here. If this "teachable moment" had happened in a place that took several days to reach, and not in a place a short hop from Miami airport, I wonder if A) he would even offer such a workshop or B) if he would have any takers.
I've been watching this drama (and not in the good sense) unfold with interest. As a relatively inexperienced photojournalist, when I first saw his post, I was intrigued. The $4,000 price tag initially steered me away, but I kept thinking- how do you get experience in something like this, without making that first trip, or taking that first assignment? And, if experience counts in getting that next assignment...
On the other hand, it did feel slimy, and wrong. And then Zoriah's response to his critics was incredibly off-putting. It's one thing to get criticized, it's another to paint the entire industry as corporate sell-outs with such a broad brush. |
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Chris La Putt, Photographer
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Jersey City | NJ | USA | Posted: 12:12 PM on 02.11.10 |
->> I'm more concerned with him deleting the threads that contain the comments of other photogs condemning him for his actions in order to cover his tracks.
That's just a bit too shady for me. |
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Melissa Wade, Photographer
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Boston | MA | USA | Posted: 12:51 PM on 02.11.10 |
->> I haven't read all of the threads on various sites, but is no one bothered by his OTHER workshops. I don't particularly like the idea of the Haiti workshop, but the Cambodia and India ones seem more intrusive and exploitive.
Zoriah.net left sidebar:
"...Cambodia
AIDS Orphans - live in an orphanage and document the lives of one or more children. ..." |
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