Including Those Excluded

Recently, I attended a discussion on Community at SF Camera Work and although admittedly, didn't interact much, as I was dead dog tired with a headache to boot- was nonetheless happy to see that both speakers and attendees alike were a very mixed bag of ages, sexes and colors. So many of the photographic functions I've attended are inexorably such homogeneous affairs. 

Below are two very insightful articles discussing inclusion in photography and journalism from two distinct angles. The topic in both mediums are age old problems that have still yet to be adequately addressed, let alone alleviated, and of course, if you're talking inclusion, one must first discuss how those in question are being... excluded.

Two decades into the 21st century, Western media/photographers continue to portray their point of view without particular regard to the cultures and peoples they are portraying. Sometimes that callous disregard can be blatantly obvious, other times its just simply the narrative we've come to expect. The other article exposes much more subtle (though substantial) nuances in how language, as well as photos, and the interaction and presentation of both can emphasize, minimize or change the context of what we see, read and eventually... believe. The scary subtext to the latter being that this often occurs on a very subconscious level without our realization. This is something I have no doubt noticed along the way, continually strive to notice, and come no where close to noticing to the extent that this most observant person does... The example starting at 5:20 in the video really hit home for me.