On November 21 of this year I happened across “November 22, 1963,” a short film by Errol Morris, which features an unlikely interviewee: a Navy Seal turned Kierkegaard scholar turned high-profile private investigator named Josiah “Tink” Thompson. Though I met him only once, almost 46 years ago, I recognized him immediately. […]
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The term “sock puppet” has come to denote people who create false web identities with which to generate online attention to and (usually) praise of themselves ― such as posting favorable comments about and reviews of their own work at Amazon and other sites. We need another term for those who hide behind false names in order to do other kinds of online harm to people, and I propose “web weasel.” […] We need to preserve anonymity in some situations― that’s what makes whistle-blowing possible, among other things. But no reputable print periodical would publish unsigned letters to the editor; they require a verifiable sender, though they’ll withhold a name on request if there’s a good reason for it. No reason that online forums, and the comments section of periodicals and blogs, shouldn’t subscribe to the same standards. […] Clearly, the Lucie Foundation wants the respect of the photo world. You don’t arrogate respect to yourself; you earn it. And you can’t just claim distinction; you have to achieve it. With eleven years of activity under its belt, it’s time for the Lucie Foundation to develop and manifest a realistic self-assessment in its relation to other awards programs, and to make some substantial attitude adjustments and course corrections. […] |
 SPJ Research Award 2014 |
JFK, Tink Thompson, and “Six Seconds in Dallas” (2)
What I took away from Thompson’s book “Six Seconds in Dallas” that nourished my budding inclination to start working as a photography critic was this: Close, patient attention to the particulars of lens-derived images would reward the viewer in unpredictable ways. […]