February 28, 2021
Chatting the Pictures

Chatting the Pictures: A Telling Photo of a Cold Stricken Texas and the Heat About a Blackout

Welcome to Chatting the Pictures. Every two weeks, we present a short, lively video discussion between Michael Shaw, publisher of Reading the Pictures, and writer, professor, and historian, Cara Finnegan, examining a significant picture in the news.

By Staff
About the Video

In Tamir Kalifa’s photo for The New York Times, we see downtown Austin beyond a darkened suburb during a historic cold system. The picture echoes others posted to social media as citizens assumed the electricity was being distributed unequally. We discuss the “reverse” weighting of the photo, how the scene was an outlet for discontent, and the irony of these citizens seeking out the car for light.

You can find all the Chatting the Pictures replays here.

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Panelists

Michael Shaw

An analyst of news photos and visual journalism, and a frequent lecturer and writer on visual politics, photojournalism and media literacy, Michael is the founder and publisher of Reading the Pictures.

Cara Finnegan

Cara Finnegan is a writer, photo historian, and professor of Communication at the University of Illinois. She has been affiliated with Reading The Pictures for nearly 15 years, most recently as co-host of Chatting The Pictures. Her most recent book is Photographic Presidents: Making History from Daguerreotype to Digital.

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