capturemag.com.au
[capture] sep_oct.19sentiment that stands well in line with the left-leaning politics of The
Guardian and perhaps begs the question: would the same discussion
have been had among the picture editors of similarly-sized conservative
publications? While it is clear that Shields and her team take a
considered and responsible approach to the curatorial process for any
story The Guardian puts to print, we live at a time where it is impossible
to deny at least a small dosage of political agency that influences all
picture desks, whether progressive or conservative.
However important, a more lengthy discussion of the nuances of the
Fourth Estate and political backing of news outlets would perhaps be to
ignore the elephant in the room that is a much more severe form of
censorship facing journalists and free speech advocates across the globe
- a shining example of which has been playing out in Bangladesh over at
least the last 12 months. On the 5th of August 2018, Shahidul Alam was
taken from his home by 20-30 plain-clothes police shortly after he gave
an interview to Al Jazeera English on the student protests in Dhaka, and
was charged with making ‘provocative comments’ under section 57 of
Bangladesh’s Information Communications Act which carries the
prospect of 7-14 years prison. Alam, who has a global reputation for his
social justice work and energetic defence of human rights and freedom
of speech, has for decades evidenced a visionary approach that has
served to establish influential institutions in the realms of media (the
Drik photo agency), education (Pathshala South Asian Media Institute),
and culture (the Chobi Mela festival). After 107 days in jail, dozens of
court appearances/motions, and a global campaign for his release, he
was granted bail, although the charges still hang over him.
This recent escapade points largely to parts of the majority world
where violently oppressive regimes are still enacted, but as Alan Hill, a
lecturer in photography at RMIT University in Melbourne says, also
bears striking resemblance to recent intimidations of free press closer to
home. “I think it’s fairly obvious that Shahidul embarrassed the
Government in the lead up to an election, and through his abduction/
arrest, detention, and charge, they sought to silence him, and also send a
message to others not to speak out,” says Hill. “Having said that, I don’t
think the Bangladesh Government is in any way unique – one of the
most alarming things for me has been the strong parallels with the laws
and tactics employed by many governments around the world, including
here in Australia, which has become all too apparent in recent weeks
with police raids on journalists homes and offices.”
Referring to recent raids by the Australian Federal Police of the
ABC’s offices and archives pertaining to a series of 2017 stories titled
The Afghan Files, Hill says that the recent raids remind us of the need
for responsible journalism in place of a need for censorship. “There is a
difference between legitimate information security, censorship, and the
intimidation of journalists, but, in general, I’d rather see a strong,
independent media, who exercise responsibility in reporting, rather than
censorship,” he says. “Which is to say that, in my view, we should insist
that journalists, editors, and publishers act responsibly and in the public
interest. I think Shahidul’s case is a timely reminder that freedom of
expression makes the powerful nervous, and that we allow that freedom
to be eroded at our peril. Which is why the global movement for
Shahidul’s release was, and is, so important.”Techno-censorship & ideological robots
While the nuances and threats of censorship as played out across
journalism pose somewhat obvious questions about the right to
information, the right for free speech, etc, when shifting one’s gaze
toward the art photography world, the conversation around censorship
seems to alter slightly. As opposed to an industry concerned with
photographers that are aiming to disseminate unbiased and objective
reporting, art photographers are often looking to posit very pointed and
refined ideas. However, in 2019, it is also becoming increasingly
obvious that art photographers’ biggest problems under the banner of
censorship are often concerned with technology and/or nudity. And the
interface between these can often result in startlingly uncharted
waters of algorithms and crowd-sourced ideology.There is a difference between
legitimate informationsecurity, censorship, and the
intimidation of journalists...Alan Hill
business censorship
©^
SHAHIDUL^ ALAM/DRIK/MAJORITY^ WORLDABOVE: Woman
in ballot booth.
Dhaka,
Bangladesh,- “For the
first time in the
history of our
nation, a fair and
free election. A
stamp on a
ballot paper in
exchange for Nur
Hossain’s
death.”