Read Turnstyle News’ Full Occupy Wall Street Coverage
I’ve found myself cursing at the radio or at the screen a few times during Occupy Wall Street media coverage. U.S. media seems to be following the same pattern it followed during May protests in Spain: ignoring the protest, questioning it, mocking it, over-covering it, and exaggerating it. So, I am not surprised that some people feel the need to distribute pictures on their own, and not rely on the traditional media channels.
This means a plethora of cameras, both still and video, covering almost every inch of the Occupy Wall Street movement.
I gathered my things and decided to venture out to the October 15 rally in Times Square, in New York City, to talk to people about their need to document the events for themselves. Most of the people I approached to ask for an interview were pretty nice. Some of the professionals told me that they were not allowed to speak on camera. Others recorded me while I was recording them. Others wanted to talk, but not on camera. It’s not a hostile question, but for some reason it feels like it when I ask: “Why do you feel the need to be shooting pictures when there are so many pictures available of the same exact thing?” I guess that someone could interpret my question as: “Are you stupid? Don’t you realize that your picture is not any better than any of the 30 pictures the people around you are taking?” But really, I am the one who feels a bit stupid, going up to these people and suggesting that there is no value in taking thousands of pictures of the same thing, while I am taking pictures and shooting video of them.
The most over-documented movement in history? Maybe. But why not? Below is a collection of images capturing the curious, driven, determined citizen journalists covering the Occupy Wall Street movement.
