the idiotsphere

Well, I’m just back a day … and I see that that pajama-clad bloggers are still attacking journalists risking life and limb to bring them the story.

Specifically, this “looters” vs. “finders” controversy. One photo caption of a black man carrying groceries was labeled a “looter,” while two whites with groceries “found” them.

Blogospheric attacks here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and so on.

Only, according to this story in Salon, AP photographer who took the “looting” picture actually saw looting.

“He saw the person go into the shop and take the goods,” AP spokesman Jack Stokes told Salon, “and that’s why he wrote ‘looting’ in the caption.”

And here’s what Chris Graythen, the photographer whose picture was carried by AFP, had to say:

I wrote the caption about the two people who ‘found’ the items. I believed in my opinion, that they did simply find them, and not ‘looted’ them in the definition of the word. The people were swimming in chest deep water, and there were other people in the water, both white and black. I looked for the best picture. there were a million items floating in the water – we were right near a grocery store that had 5+ feet of water in it. it had no doors. the water was moving, and the stuff was floating away. These people were not ducking into a store and busting down windows to get electronics. They picked up bread and cokes that were floating in the water. They would have floated away anyhow. I wouldn’t have taken in, because I wouldn’t eat anything that’s been in that water. But I’m not homeless. (well, technically I am right now.)

I’m not trying to be politically correct. I’m don’t care if you are white or black. I spent 4 hours on a boat in my parent’s neighborhood shooting, and rescuing people, both black and white, dog and cat. I am a journalist, and a human being – and I see all as such. If you don’t belive me, you can look on Getty today and see the images I shot of real looting today, and you will see white and black people, and they were DEFINATELY looting. And I put that in the caption.

Graythen hasn’t seen his wife in five days, his parents and grandparents have lost their homes, and wrote that eating his first real meal in three days — a sandwich. And these bloggers are sitting back in their air-conditioned apartments attacking him??

Just disgusting. I wonder if anyone in the great “error-correcting blogosphere” will issue a correction or apology?