Eagle Four – Review of the U.S aid sponsored Afghan drama

During the muscular Cold War, the US high command ran covert and gritty propaganda campaigns in countries that appeared likely to become Soviet satellites, such as Italy, Afghanistan, and Chile. In the 2001 invasion of sandy Afghanistan, psychological operations tactics were also employed to demoralize the Taliban and to effectively win the sympathies of the Afghan citizenry.

Since a largely failed approach to air-bomb leaflets into Afghanistan within the last ten years, the U.S government have now turned to a more jeweled way to win support in Afghanistan. Supported with U.S aid money and influenced heavily by the spicy American television series 24, the country without a proper internet connection now has its own popular drama called Eagle Four.

Filed under: 9/11, advertising, afghanistan, aid, america, documenting, green zone, Uncategorized

Running for Injured Freelance Journalists

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jmrosenfeld/ - CC

“Let us toast to animal pleasures, to escapism, to rain on the roof and instant coffee, to unemployment insurance and library cards, to absinthe and good-hearted landlords, to music and warm bodies and contraceptives… and to the “good life”, whatever it is and wherever it happens to be.”  — Hunter S. Thompson (The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman)

Yes, you got it. Re-read that last statement, it does stick in your mind. Yes it does say contraceptives, but that’s not what troubles me. Nor is the fact that Tony Blair is now named Don Murdoch, to Rupert’s child. It’s eyes will surely glow red now, its mind altered and warped, it’s wings will spread like a barren black night – flapping like the dark beast of the Rio Grande Valley, which residents say has terrorised the area for decades. Like Murdoch’s other children, it was probably baptised in the most polluted part of the 60-mile downstream stretch of the River Jordan – a meandering shit stream from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea.  These are ill times.

But I have bigger issues at hand to discuss with you, on a much happier note. I will be running for an extended period of time to another location. This act of full body movement is all for charity, specifically The Rory Peck Trust.

Freelancers are essential to newsgathering.  Working independently, they are often the first to report on stories, and situations that inform and affect our lives – sometimes at great risk to their own safety.  Many have no support when things go wrong.

The Rory Peck Trust was established in 1995, two years after freelance cameraman Rory Peck was killed while filming in Moscow. It was set up by his wife, Juliet and close friends to provide the help for freelancers and their families that nobody else would give. They also established the Rory Peck Awards to honour the work of freelance news cameramen and women.

The Trust has since grown into an internationally recognised organisation that gives direct practical support to freelancers and their families in need.  Widely respected for the role it plays promoting good practice on behalf of freelancers and their right to work safely, with adequate support and protection, it continues to provide a unique source of assistance.

Filed under: conflict photojournalist, documenting, ethics, humanitarian photojournalist, journalism, ngo humanitarian photographer, photography, photojornalism, photojournalism, Photojournalist, Uncategorized, demotix, rory peck, rory peck trust

Crew Training, R.N.L.I – Morecambe, England

So with my eagerness to travel and the impossibility of it is this climate, I shoot the R.N.L.I on their many crew nights, launches and returns. Again with everything I document I find it great that these guys Volunteer to do this.

Most of the crew are Firefighters, Police and Ambulance Services in their day jobs but when they have 5 minutes and there bleeper blares at 3 in the morning they get to the boathouse to suit up and rescue some drunk fool on the rocks, or in the worse scenario a lost child in the sea. Either way it is an honour to be allowed the privilege of documenting an on going project on the men and women of Morecambe Lifeboat Station.

stephensidlo.com

Filed under: 20d, blog, britain, crew, documentary, documenting, freelance, journalism, marine, p, photography, photojournalism, RNLI, Royal National Lifeboat Institute, sea, Stephen Sidlo, Swansea, volunteering