Don't hate or love Politics I don't like 'Pol in Summer...
just indiferent to it all.
you think when its rainning I'll get to
like it,not EVEN A little bit.
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by Joe B. Well,you read one San Francisco Chronicle reporter’s "in depth, up close view of houseless folk and their dire situations. Mr. Kevin Fagan’s "SHAME OF THE CITY" is one more reporter manure-penning low blow potshots at the poor. At least when doing my "Mess on Market Street series,way back in 2001 or so it was by someone who not only lived the life I was and still no where near out of poverty’s grip. Its just one citizens with a bit of access by way of a job telling the daily woes,danger’s, funny,and offbeat of living an irregular life on Market Street. I don’t know if I interviewed people like on the street but do respect their right of privacy as citizens or simply as human beings and not to frame them in a powerless state of being. All Mr. Fagan did was focus on the most negative of images,freeze them in that focus and rarely talked to people who though houseless struggled to gain employment for themselves and or families. I looks like another negative attack-dogs-on- poor slam cynical political slight-of-hand. Its easy to set up "the homeless" as a mass of marginal people who all won’t work,eat all day, screw all night,and are either drinking or smoking up various non prescription drugs. Only one problem it’s a myth-in-stasis that is what may seemed to have been true decades ago if it ever were is a false image trotted out for pol’s to set up their campaigns around. The shame of the ‘Chron is instead of having one reporter,a video person(s) (Camera person(s) to cover one or more shelter, hotel,church,highway under -pass,or local bars, restaurant,fast food places frequented. Why didn’t they have multiple teams of such and a some undercover investigative reporters who are doing it for 6 to 9 months at time with fresh replacements so the flow in info doesn’t sour, become stale,or prevent job burn out for those not "too close" the issue they’re covering all over the country in other cities and small towns all across America? It couldn’t be money, don’t corporations have money allocated for just such long term,intense reporting? Or is easier to just have a few weeks of quickie snap shots of jobless,houseless,persons and families struggling from no pay to minimum,to sub-minimum wage that hasn’t kept pace with the cost-of-living for over 20 years. That’s why Coalition On Homelessness and other organizations including Poor Magazine covered the protest against the S.F. Chronicle outside their building. No,don’t know the address all I did was hold my umbrella for those filming,recording,or speaking to reporters. I’m at the protest under protest though it was interesting that a reporter either from Chron or another news outlet used a telephoto lens, walking around photographing the proceeding while he stays well away from the protest. Finally the protestor converges where he is because verbal altercations and being threatened with violence by some folks angry at his out-of-loop surveillance like tactics. Though no one came to blows there is a spirited discussion of technical/ psychology of "The Gaze" of photography,photo,the photographer’s responsibility in this complex process the way it (photographed subject) can be framed showing weakness or strength or fanciful absurdity. Like I said,I’m at this protest under protest. I mainly held the umbrella My only part aside from waterproofing folks on both sides of heated discussions was saying "Why don’t both out you meet somewhere neutral and talk this out." This is between Tiny, co-editor of Poor Magazine and the Framing-Gaze- reporter. No,don’t know his name but others on the scene do. Done my bit for media folks… Bye. Email: askjoe@poormagazine.org |