The opinions expressed in this essay are the author’s own.
by Bart Weiss, Director, Dallas Video Festival
On Jan 9, 2007, Steve Jobs held the first iPhone in his hand and changed the way we think of photography, the way we think about truth, and just about everything in the world. It was a phone, it had apps, but the two significant changes we were not ready for were the camera and connection to the internet. There was a long history of consumer photography before the iPhone. The Brownie camera was invented in 1900, and the Polaroid made photos instantly available in 1948. Still, those were not always in your pocket, and as they say, the best camera is the one in your hand.
When your camera is with you (as long as you still have a battery), everything can be photographed, from the traditional baby's first steps to proof that you went on that vacation. Indeed, for some the point of the vacation was to have evidence that you were there. You can see many people not experiencing life to experience the photo later or to get likes on social media.
When your camera is with you (as long as you still have a battery), everything can be photographed, from the traditional baby's first steps to proof that you went on that vacation. Indeed, for some the point of the vacation was to have evidence that you were there. You can see many people not experiencing life to experience the photo later or to get likes on social media.
Back in the day, making people watch your home movies turned friends into ex-friends. Now everything, including what you ate last night, is not only snapped but sent to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, because of that second thing Jobs did, connected the camera to the internet so instantly the world can see what you cooked up.
What does it mean to have all these photos out there? Are they the truth, a truth, or fiction? The answer is in the judgment of the person hitting the button. Are they trying to show or shade the truth? Either and both are possible. The mobile camera has brought about a new kind of citizen populist journalism. But through shot selection, editing, and compositing, what you think you are seeing could be diametrically opposite of what happened. Is what we see really evidence? Think about the impeachment trial we saw in February 2021. We saw so many of the Capitol rioters shooting photos and video with their phones, and much of this is getting those folks arrested, so indeed, it will be evidence. But then think about the House Manager’s video versus that of the former president's defense team. Each edited the material to make a different point. The prosecution used a montage of Trump talking about the violence to show how he set up the events, and the defense showed Democrats using the word “fight” out of context. |
I was thinking of this in the context of November 22, 1963, when a few 8 mm cameras recorded President John F. Kennedy's death. What would we know if we had everyone on the grassy knoll with a camera in their hand? My guess is it would be more confusing than revealing.
On the other hand, we would not know about George Floyd without the citizen camera. Everybody with a camera in their hands means that people can be held accountable, instantly and internationally, but it might not be accurate.
We really need media literacy to help us decode what might be true from what is false.
The major tenants of media literacy are:
Filtering the media you consume through this lens will help you figure out what is true and what the maker of the work wants you to think is true.
On the other hand, we would not know about George Floyd without the citizen camera. Everybody with a camera in their hands means that people can be held accountable, instantly and internationally, but it might not be accurate.
We really need media literacy to help us decode what might be true from what is false.
The major tenants of media literacy are:
- All media are constructs. Media is built. So, we need to know who the builder is. We need to know what it was made from and why.
- Media is built with a creative language. Know how to decode cinematic and other media syntax to understand the manipulation.
- Different people experience the same media message differently. Our life experiences and personal bias affect how we interpret what we see.
- Media has a point of view. Media will have a subtext of who or what is essential. Who are the people in the media, what are they wearing, and what values do they espouse?
- Most media is used to gain money or power.
Filtering the media you consume through this lens will help you figure out what is true and what the maker of the work wants you to think is true.