Perhaps not but their accuracy depends upon whether they are taken with the desire the truth or prove an argument. When the latter is the case, distortion can be expected as you will see from two pictures of last May 8th’s anti Fish Farm rally.
Below is the picture taken by Tom Fletcher, a government suck, took at the crowd at the Legislature last May 8 during the fish farm rally.
Here’s what Fletcher has to say about the photo above.
“This is one of the photos I took at Saturday’s fish farm protest at the B.C. legislature. It was taken shortly before 5 p.m., a few minutes before professional fish farm protester Alexandra Morton addressed the quasi-religious movement that has grown up around this issue.”
Here is a picture taken at the SAME time not from off in the distance but from the Legislature stairs.
Can you believe that anyone calling himself a reporter would take a picture a distance of, I would guess, 100 metres away at ground level and suggest it’s an accurate portrayal of a crowd?
Fletcher consistently favours the government and fish farm companies which he is certainly at liberty to do. He wouldn’t be writing for the David Black chain if he didn’t take those positions.
THAT DOES NOT GIVE HIM THE RIGHT TO DISTORT AS YOU CAN SEE HE DOES IN THE COMPARISON OF PICTURES.
I don’t read his crap any more but I caught the couple of lines under his photo calling Alexandra Morton a “professional fish farm protester.”
Given the financial hardships Alex has faced and still faces, this really tells more about Fletcher than Alex.
Are Liberal MLAs and Cabinet Ministers not highly paid pro Fish Farm spokespeople? Is the biggest booster of them all, Gordon Campbell not handsomely paid? Would he deny people who work full time in the environmental the right to be paid?
Isn’t he paid, in spite of the valueless tripe he writes?
Normally I wouldn’t waste my time or yours except when photos are offered in support of an opinion, and the photograph is not a reflection but a distortion fair play dictates that the distortion be identified, and in this case by a photograph that indeed reflects the truth.
Not only does the second picture reflect the truth, I was on those stairs looking out at that crowd.
For shame, Fletcher, for shame.
The nasty dig at Alexandra Morton shows the level of opposition mow that there isn’t a soupcon of scientific evidence to support fish farms in our oceans.
Do I show bias in my writings and speaking?
Of course I do because I’m not a reporter but an editorialist and never pretended to be anything else. I base my work on what I devoutly believe to be the truth but anyone who reads or listens to me knows that I’m not a reporter which Fletcher pretends to be; it’s that which makes his picture of the rally so despicable.
In case you need another ‘independent’ photo, I was standing behind you and Alex, and took the one I put in my blog entry about the day, here… http://mvwindwalker.blogspot.com/2010/05/longer-story.html (scroll down)! Thanks for keepin’ on keepin’ on……
Seconding Marilyn… I also have SEVERAL photos taken from the right of the speakers, including one taken near the very end of the rally (when the singers came on) which shows more people than Fletcher’s photo. Let me know if you want them.
Well done Rafe. I usually don’t pay much attention to Fletcher, but his latest column managed to anger me.
Good report, Rafe. This explains why media coverage which was pretty good as Alex came down the island towards the Comox Valley died out a day or two later. Her message was getting through until the biased media played it down.