Hurricane Katrina and the "Two-Photo Controversy"

After Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, two photographs published by Yahoo! News depicting residents making their way through chest-deep water caused an uproar relating to bias in media coverage. The first image, shot by photographer Dave Martin for the Associated Press, showed a young black man, who, according to the accompanying caption, “walks through chest deep flood water after looting a grocery store.” In a similar shot, taken by photographer Chris Graythen for AFP/Getty Images, a white couple was shown wading "through chest-deep water after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store.”

It is Yahoo!’s policy to use photo captions that are provided by the photographers and not edit them before posting the images online.¹ These captions caused many to question whether black people were being treated fairly in media coverage of post-hurricane events.

In response to the ensuing controversy, the journalists associated with the photos claimed that it was not an issue of race, but rather a question of semantics over the terms ‘looting’ as opposed to ‘finding’. According to Jack Stokes, the director of media relations for AP, Dave Martin, the photographer of the first picture, personally witnessed the subject of his photograph entering a grocery store and leaving with items, thus witnessing the man looting.² Whereas the photographer of the second photo, Chris Graythen, didn’t witness the subjects of his photograph taking the goods. “I wrote the caption about the two people who 'found' the items. I believed in my opinion, that they did simply find them, and not 'looted' them in the definition of the word. The people were swimming in chest deep water, and there were other people in the water, both white and black. I looked for the best picture. There were a million items floating in the water — we were right near a grocery store that had 5+ feet of water in it. It had no doors. The water was moving, and the stuff was floating away. These people were not ducking into a store and busting down windows to get electronics. They picked up bread and cokes that were floating in the water. They would have floated away anyhow.”³

For Discussion

Compare the terms “looting” and “finding”. What images come to mind when we hear or use these words? What implications are associated with each word?
What challenges do journalists face in reporting the news? How do these challenges change in times of traumatic events? How does this relate to situations when you are required to provide context in describing a event?
Typically, photos and images help provide clarity rather than confusion. Why do you think this case was different?
For, what reasons (both unintentional and intentional) do you think bias can occur in news reporting? What other examples can you think of in which bias has occurred in media coverage of this or similar events?
Based on the reactions to these pictures, what recommendations would you give Yahoo! and other news media for handling accompanying captions?

Compare the following two post-hurricane photos. In light of the two photos previously discussed, what comments would you make about these pictures and their accompanying captions.


			Looters hit a drug store in the French Quarter dustrict of New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisuana, following Hurricane Katrina. Fresh floods, fires and looting rode in the destructive wake of Hurricane Katrina, deepening a humanitarian crises that left hundreds feared dead and sections of New Orleans submerged to the rooftops. (AFP/James Nielson)		As one person looks through their shopping bag, left, another jumps through a broken window, while leaving a convenience store on the I-10 service road south, in Metairie, La., Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This photo was taken during a helicopter tour of the area that included the governor of Louisiana. (AP Photo/Bill Feig, Pool)

The issue raised by the original photographs was addressed by musician, Kayne West, during a fundraiser broadcast on NBC for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Discuss his comments and his criticisms on the federal response time. (A further discussion can be dedicated to how his comments were received by people and the media.)

I hate the way they portray us in the media. You see a black family, it says, 'They're looting.' You see a white family, it says, 'They're looking for food.' And, you know, it's been five days [waiting for federal help] because most of the people are black.⁴

Look for other examples of where looting was a story in the media. How were those circumstances similar/different from New Orleans?
Interview several people on their reactions to coverage on the situation in New Orleans. What is their assessment of media reporting? Did they feel there were examples of unnecessary bias?
Refer to the lesson Bias in the News and the corresponding handout How to Detect Bias in the News. Have students evaluate Hurricane Katrina news reports using the templates and guidelines provided. See if they can find current examples for the techniques listed in the handout.

¹ Aaron Kinney, "Looting or finding?" Salon.com, September 1, 2005, (http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/09/01/photo_controversy/index.html)
² Salon.com, September 1, 2005
³ Barbara and David P. Mikkelson, "Loot Loops" Snopes.com, September 1, 2005,(http://www.snopes.com/katrina/photos/looters.asp)
⁴Lisa de Moraes "Kanye West's Torrent of Criticism, Live on NBC" Washington Post, September 3, 2005 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090300165.html)