A Challenge for Visual Journalism: Rendering The Labor Behind News Images Visible
The Chicago Sun-Times’ decision to shut down its photography department to satisfy audiences “consistently seeking more video content with their news” is sad but not surprising. As an anthropologist who studies the changing culture of photojournalism and the rise of the visual content industry, the newspaper’s turn towards multimedia and video on the one hand […]
The Dark Side of DIY in Photojournalism and Photographic Ethnography
Though DIY (do-it-yourself) is generally celebrated as empowering and democratizing, the recent layoff of the entire photojournalism staff at the Chicago Sun-Times is a potent indicator of the dark side of this popular ethos. The elimination of skilled, full-time jobs in favor of part-time, freelance, and unpaid labor is a familiar post-industrial pattern. In this […]
Anthropologists Not Needed in Florida
Speaking at The Mark Bernier Show, Florida Governor Rick Scott expressed an unfavorable opinion of anthropology: We don’t need a lot more anthropologists in the state. It’s a great degree if people want to get it, but we don’t need them here. I want to spend our dollars giving people science, technology, engineering, and math […]
Part III: Eating Watermelon, Parsing Chaos
Research takes perseverance and grit, but there is no denying that it comes with certain pleasures, too. In Palestinian society, research feeds both mind and body. Once, I was interviewing two young men who were in a hurry to go on an afternoon excursion. Still, they presented me with soda and then coffee on a […]
Part II: So Many Interviewees, How Shall I Choose?
What happens when Palestinians are given the chance to comment on Palestine related US news? Join anthropologist Amahl Bishara in a three part series as she goes to the field in Palestine to find out!
Part I: Re-Starting A Conversation
What happens when Palestinians are given the chance to comment on Palestine related US news? Join anthropologist Amahl Bishara this summer as she goes to the field in Palestine to find out!