While covering the demonstrations in Long Beach on Sunday, May 31 protesting the killing of George Floyd, student photographer Richard Grant, who is a contributor to the Daily Forty-Niner, captured an image that has garnered international attention.
The Daily Forty-Niner included this photo in a gallery that portrayed numerous aspects of the demonstrations and ran the following caption with the image:
A man stands with his child in front of police during demonstrations Sunday in downtown Long Beach. Police pointed rubber bullet guns to prompt crowds to back away.
This photo is real and was edited by the photographer for color correction and framing. The Daily Forty-Niner student reporter and photographer who were on the scene confirmed that this image, along with the others in the photo gallery, accurately reflects the essence of what they saw and experienced at the event.
The student photographer shared this image and others independently on his own social media channels, which garnered hundreds of thousands of shares. Since being shared on social media, numerous accounts have adopted the image and added their own message, caption and interpretation.
The Daily Forty-Niner is a student-run publication, advised by journalism faculty. It is a media laboratory and learning environment. We are committed to utilizing this situation and all real-world journalism experience to further the practical education of our student journalists. This moment in history continues to be part of that educational process.
Student reporters will continue to be dedicated to reporting the truth and documenting impactful events in the community as part of the learning experience.
Was the man/daughter actually that close to the police? I would think there would be more angles from other photographers bcuz of the impact the picture portrays. Were there any other photos of the exact scene? Would your newsletter be willing to publish the “untouched photo?
Thank you for sharing this. There was no reason to think this father was doing anything more than walking home across the square. Interesting how differently people viewed this important picture according to what they choose to believe regardless of truth. Facts matter.
What does “edited for framing mean”? And “accurately reflects the essence”? I think it means “This photo was doctored to make it more sensational.” My guess is the man with the child on his shoulders was not nearly as close to the officer as the “edited” picture reflects.