May 1
Front Page Observations
Here on this front page news we see the police authorities more involved in the action: while the day before was contextualizing the outbreaks and throwing images of the biggest immediate highlights to the public, this page starts of with more of a tone of reassurance -- or fear, depending on who you are. There is a clear power dynamic within this photo of the "Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies" and the "group of people arrested": a couple of officers stand over a large group of individuals lying face down, hands bound. Not only are they vulnerable, they are dehumanized under the watch of the police. They are piled together, turned away from the camera (no faces, no identity), and defenseless. The caption describes them merely as a "group" of people, and with the images of April 30th's newspapers fresh in the public's mind, it invites readers to fill in the blank as to what "kind" of group (most likely a racial/ethnic one) they are. Of course, this accompanies the title regarding "Looters" and "Fires", connecting groups rather than individuals with the disasters.
For victims of looting or fearful white communities, the police presence in this photo is reassuring; for the victims of a biased and unfair justice/police system, this photo evokes fear and humiliation. It contains the potential to stoke tension between the various "groups" affected by these events.
Tags: Police
Here on this front page news we see the police authorities more involved in the action: while the day before was contextualizing the outbreaks and throwing images of the biggest immediate highlights to the public, this page starts of with more of a tone of reassurance -- or fear, depending on who you are. There is a clear power dynamic within this photo of the "Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies" and the "group of people arrested": a couple of officers stand over a large group of individuals lying face down, hands bound. Not only are they vulnerable, they are dehumanized under the watch of the police. They are piled together, turned away from the camera (no faces, no identity), and defenseless. The caption describes them merely as a "group" of people, and with the images of April 30th's newspapers fresh in the public's mind, it invites readers to fill in the blank as to what "kind" of group (most likely a racial/ethnic one) they are. Of course, this accompanies the title regarding "Looters" and "Fires", connecting groups rather than individuals with the disasters.
For victims of looting or fearful white communities, the police presence in this photo is reassuring; for the victims of a biased and unfair justice/police system, this photo evokes fear and humiliation. It contains the potential to stoke tension between the various "groups" affected by these events.
Tags: Police