There’s no question that the New York Times photo of James Comey during his Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, where he detailed his uncomfortable and suspect dealings with President Donald Trump, is going to be one of the iconic ones of our time. There’s also no question about who overwhelmingly seems to dominate the photojournalism field based on this photo: white men.
Doug Mills, the photographer who carefully planned and shot the photo, used a monopod from above the gaggle of photographers. If you read this detailed write-up about it, you’ll see another photo that has an even clearer view. Counting the photographers, about 32 seemed to be white males, and only two women in the group. There may have been a few minorities, but it’s hard to tell.
Take a look:
Regardless of what the exact count was, it’s stunning that news organizations don’t consider this when sending out photographers. Yes, news outlets have hit tough times, and those tough times disproportionately affect minorities in newsrooms, but it’s still something an editor should think about. This is even more important when it involves a president that specifically targets minorities when crafting policy.
The Comey photo reveals that there’s still a huge gender/race gap in photojournalism. If you look at the list of New York Times reporters in the White House Press Corps (or at least the ones listed here), there’s a lack of diversity across the board. It’s a similar situation for the board of the White House Correspondents’ Association. Fox News, according to that same list, seems to be doing better on this front.
Many commenters pointed out this issue not only in terms of the photographers, but also in terms of the people in the room who controlled the levers of power in government:
Some of the comments on the New York Times story about the photo.
When photographs disproportionately carry the collective consciousness and culture of a specific group, they in turn disproportionately bias their consumers toward that group's ideas on anything from sexuality to social habits. Culture feeds into art feeds into culture. Culture feeds into advertising feeds into culture. Culture feeds into journalism feeds into culture.
This particular photo from the Comey hearing reveals that no one’s listening.
Ahhhhh, the blame the white guys senario, please allow me to exercise that "privledge" that has been bestowed upon me for being born a white male... (LOL). What we see here in this photo are those that may not only be the top in their field, but may also have the experience to do their choosen profession expertly. Pointing out the fact that they are white men is not only absurd, but also irrelevant as well. As others have said, we can make the same conclusions of exclusion in many different fields of employment, i.e.: sports players for example, unless its hockey. Fast food workers perhaps, maybe the fact that health workers are predominately female. Being white (while it is wonderful, lol) does not lend its self to more advantages in life even if the media would like us to believe it.
I know i for one have gotten to the point where it become tiring listening/reading from people about some assumed "privledge" that I have as a birth right to success just by being born a white male. And those that blame another's success or failures because of the color of their skin is blatant bigotry at is most jealous form. Its always sad to see a persons exceptional accomplishments in life belittled by other because they believe it because of their skin color and not their deserved success.
Sadly you must be a very petty person to assume that what you dont have in life is because of someone else and not your lack of understanding or ambition, and that makes you a hypocrite, as you assume racism is the cause and in turn makes you a racist.
It might be that only young white men are willing to live in cardboard boxes, given the prospects of a steady job for PJs these days.
Not exactly but for us politics, while male players have significant advantages in all genres. However, as minority like the narrator, you could also contact try to jump out of the repeating judgment and find your theme. It's possible and equal fun.