Photomedia Bias

[makattak]

As I'm reading this article:

http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/10/28/map-that-shows-how-huge-europes-refugee-crisis-really-is?cmpid=tp-fb

I'm struck by this photo:



Very heartstrings-pulling, of the family with 4 girls, just trying to find a better economic future errr... escape violence!, I mean.

Note what the cameraman did to get this photo- look at the members of the background:

Other than the one family that is the focus of the picture I count 4 women and one child (another possible youngish teenager) that are in this large group of migrants, I mean "refugees". The other 20-30 are young men, travelling alone.

The photo was taken to tell a story and SPECIFICALLY to avoid the real story. The "journalist" wants to make it seem as though these are families, while the truth comes through if you look beyond where they are trying to direct your focus. 

[Jocassee]

Besides the folks in the immediate front, I see three other women (two rear center, one rear right) and one child. But yes, other than that, lots of healthy young men.

I have a theory for this that is not necessarily nefarious. If you knew enough about European policy, you would know that family reunification is offered to asylum seekers. So you would send your youngest and strongest ahead, banking on their ability to get to Germany or Sweden easiest and fastest, then bring the rest of the extended family.

This does not really detract from the reality of invasion, however, since these 2 million immigrants, 70% men, could easily multiply to between 4 and 6  million with reunification, and up to 20 million in 20 years with the typical Islamic birthrate.

[vaskidmark]

Those others are victims of the poorly organized rape centers refugee camps whose families have taken the opportunity to ditch them whose families have become separated from them.

I'm curious where the photog found a stretch of railroad line that is not littered with trampled food parcels, diapers, and torn/shredded NGO relief agency blankets.

stay safe.

[wmenorr67]

I noticed also that the two women to the rear center don't appear to have any head coverings.

[Scout26]

Compare and contrast:

WWII Refugees (and if you google images "WWII refugees", you find much of the same as is posted here.)




Present day Refugees.  Picture from Deutche-Welle. The Munich main train station (Hauptbahnhof) flooded with refugees.



While Jocasse's theory is plausible, in the past when people have had their lives up heaved by war, it was the very young, the very old, the very sick, and the very female that filled the roads leading away from the fighting.   Seeing hundreds and thousands of unaccompanied military age males fleeing sans women and children makes my BS meter do more than just flicker...

[Ben]

Compare and contrast:

WWII Refugees (and if you google images "WWII refugees", you find much of the same as is posted here.)

[img]http://image.slidesharecdn.com/world-war-ii-rages-on-1234304777072271-2/95/world-war-ii-rages-on-3-728.jpg?cb=1234283275


Present day Refugees.  Picture from Deutche-Welle. The Munich main train station (Hauptbahnhof) flooded with refugees.

[img]http://www.dw.com/image/0,,18710924_401,00.jpg

While Jocasse's theory is plausible, in the past when people have had their lives up heaved by war, it was the very young, the very old, the very sick, and the very female that filled the roads leading away from the fighting.   Seeing hundreds and thousands of unaccompanied military age males fleeing sans women and children makes my BS meter do more than just flicker...

Yes, this. My mom's stories of being a refugee during WW2 line up with just what Scout is saying. The military aged men, including my grandpa and Uncle, were taken by the military. Their entire caravan, from their village in Hungary that was bombed by the Russians, was made up of women and children and a few old men. Many of the elderly (and even younger people) stayed in the village. Many of those who stayed were shot or sent to Siberia, and the village was repopulated by people Russia wanted to get rid of but not kill. My mom's family started out with a horse and wagon. That was taken by German soldiers who said they needed it for the war. They spent the rest of their time on the road pretty much with the clothes on their backs as food and valuables were taken from them as well.

Interestingly, I just read that many of these refugees are actually pretty well off and could afford to fly to Europe, except that there is apparently some EU regulation that forbids their entry via commercial airlines, which is why they're using coyotes, riding bikes, etc. Most all of them seem to have luxury items like cell phones, etc. and money to pay for meals.

[makattak]

While Jocasse's theory is plausible, in the past when people have had their lives up heaved by war, it was the very young, the very old, the very sick, and the very female that filled the roads leading away from the fighting.   Seeing hundreds and thousands of unaccompanied military age males fleeing sans women and children makes my BS meter do more than just flicker...

I think this period will provide future military historians with an analysis of invasion without weaponry. (should enough records survive to facilitate such study)

I have to think this kind of insanity will be met with incredulity that any humans could be THIS stupid so as to aid the demise of their own country/culture.

Yet, we get to witness it firsthand.

[seeker_two]

I think this period will provide future military historians with an analysis of invasion without weaponry. (should enough records survive to facilitate such study)

I have to think this kind of insanity will be met with incredulity that any humans could be THIS stupid so as to aid the demise of their own country/culture.

Yet, we get to witness it firsthand.

In other words, future societies will consider the Mexican government military geniuses....

[dogmush]

Without downplayingredients the issue in the SW US, it has been my experience that MAM from Islamic cultures are an order of magnitude more trouble than those of Hispanic decent.

[MechAg94]

Those others are victims of the poorly organized rape centers refugee camps whose families have taken the opportunity to ditch them whose families have become separated from them.

I'm curious where the photog found a stretch of railroad line that is not littered with trampled food parcels, diapers, and torn/shredded NGO relief agency blankets.

stay safe.

You can only see a little of the ground.  What you can see does show trash though it is torn up and in smaller pieces.

[roo_ster]

Without downplayingredients the issue in the SW US, it has been my experience that MAM from Islamic cultures are an order of magnitude more trouble than those of Hispanic decent.

With regard to toxins, it is all about the dosage.

[Scout26]

You can only see a little of the ground.  What you can see does show trash though it is torn up and in smaller pieces.

Looks more like a dirt farm road then anything else.  Which make sense.  When Hungary and other nations closed their borders, it was along the main roads.  So the "refugees", began spreading out looking for the "backways", undefended/protected secondary and tertiary roads like dirt farm roads,,,

[Viking]

[zahc]

I don't get that last one.

I just wanted to chime in to say you can't always blame the photographer. The photojournalist's customer is not you. It is the editors and art directors. The photographer may take hundreds of images giving more objective portrayal, but they can't make the editors use them.

[grampster]

I have to think this kind of insanity will be met with incredulity that any humans could be THIS stupid so as to aid the demise of their own country/culture.

Yet, we get to witness it firsthand.

Underlining is mine.  It's taken a bit longer...over the last 50 years, but the country and culture of America has changed coarsened and degraded as well.  And I'm not even saying anything about the flood of immigrants over that period.  It's occurred from within.

[Hawkmoon]

I think this period will provide future military historians with an analysis of invasion without weaponry. (should enough records survive to facilitate such study)

I have to think this kind of insanity will be met with incredulity that any humans could be THIS stupid so as to aid the demise of their own country/culture.

Yet, we get to witness it firsthand.

QFT

[Hawkmoon]

Underlining is mine.  It's taken a bit longer...over the last 50 years, but the country and culture of America has changed coarsened and degraded as well.  And I'm not even saying anything about the flood of immigrants over that period.  It's occurred from within.

In my corner, it has happened from without.

[Scout26]

I don't get that last one.

"Thanks Tom, Bob here reporting from the scene.  There has been a huge turnout in supporters/opponents of....."


That what that is.  Making the picture fit the narrative.

I just wanted to chime in to say you can't always blame the photographer. The photojournalist's customer is not you. It is the editors and art directors. The photographer may take hundreds of images giving more objective portrayal, but they can't make the editors use them.

And you are right, to an extent.  However, there is a great deal of collusion.