A friend of mine sent me an Internet born placard via message the other day. “What a F&%#$ing Year This Week Has Been.”
Pretty much sums it up. We will remember last week, the way we remember 9/11. And there’s more to come. An inauguration. Which will happen and will also be remembered. Perhaps, after the 20th, we can exhale, just a little.
I only covered one inauguration. It was exciting, regardless of political views. President Reagan was a gentleman and represented a far more genteel era of American politics than is currently extant. I remember being on the stand with other photogs. Momentous, and tension producing. You had to be selective in your approach, while he took the oath. Single shot your motor drive, always cognizant of the fact you had 36 exposures to play with, not over a thousand.
His opponent, President Carter, is also a gentleman. Here, he is pictured at the 1980 Democratic National Convention.
I never did much in the way of political coverage, or news coverage in general. Simple fact is, I’m just not very good at it. But the photographers who do it well are a national treasure. We will remember last week, and the upcoming inauguration, because of the pictures. I’m not slighting the pundits and the reporters. Their words and thoughts are eloquent, voluminous and descriptive. But the first thing that will bubble up in our collective consciousness, years from now, from the insurrection attempt last week, will be the photos. Last week, pictures, and the people who made them, once again took center stage and showed us what happened, without flinching. Those searing, irrefutable images prompted our shared horror, astonishment, shame, and now, in the aftermath, provide evidence.
Photographers such as Win McNamee, Ashley Gilbertson, Erin Schaff, Saul Loeb, and Maranie Rae, among many others, stayed the course, and kept their eyes in the camera throughout the mayhem, despite being attacked and harassed. So sad that so many in this country have succumbed to the lie that journalists are a dangerous enemy. A free, raucous, vibrant press, however imperfect, is essential to democracy. I’ve worked in many countries governed by a dictator. The first thing they stifle is the flow of information. Their greatest tool? State run TV and radio.
There’s an anniversary right after this upcoming Inauguration, of another momentous occasion, 40 years ago. The Iranian hostages came home. They were flown into Stewart Air National Guard Base, bused to West Point, and feted in a ticker-tape parade on Broadway. I remember the joy of that time. I remember it better because I made pictures of it.
A return to freedom. In pictures. Pictures show us ourselves. They make us think. They prompt outrage, questions, and action. They heal, and they break our hearts. They make us lift our faces in pride, or hang our heads in confused shame. They make us remember.
Tip of the hat and heartfelt thanks to the photojournalists who stuck with it, and kept working.
More tk….
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1) I’ve worked in many countries governed by a dictator. The first thing they stifle is the flow of information. Joe Mcnally.
2) Mark Zuckerberg et al.
3) “Yes, I give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety’s sake!” Robert Bolt – as Sir Thomas More.
Brings back great memories Joe. I was working with Ken for both the 1980 conventions and doing Regan’s Inauguration as well. Seems like a different world all together. And I wasn’t that good at it either as Ken always teased me about.
I was on Capitol Hill as part of the Joint Military Cordon that day. I remember hearing about the hostage release while standing at parade rest. Amazing day.
What a shame. With this cloud of dislike hanging over all of us. The one thing missing from our lives comes down to one word. It is called Pride. It was something that existed within all of us. Whether it came from an election a sports event or a beauty pageant. You took the loss even with the opposite opponent standing next to you. You knew you lost, but you wished them well. Knowing that you would try a little harder next time. A disapointment yes. But not enough to hate. With all that has happened in the year of 2020. Maybe it is time we all came together instead of drifting apart. Good will to all. And please stay healthy and safe. Bless you all.
Hi Joe, a genuine Happy New Year, and here’s hoping its better for us all than the one just departing.
I wanted to thank you for this post, particularly calling out the brave souls, our colleague photog’s who captured this dark moment so little into a New Year (2021) that is bound to have many dark time to come.
Watching the events unfurl from the UK was both terrifying and yet dramatic, captured by news media and journalist ‘on the front’ line, which without their dedication and courage we and the rest of the world would be blind.
A big thank you to all of them, and to you Joe McNally for providing this platform.
Regards, Paul. UK.
Hey Paul: Great to hear from you and thanks for stopping by the blog. Being a photog is harder now than ever, and as you say, all power to our colleagues who hung in there and made a record of the events which will become part of our international dialogue for all time. They were amazing and professional in the most daunting of circumstances. Best, Joe
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