Last weekend’s Ethics Quiz involving the photojournalism ethics of publishing a photo appearing to show President Obama in a submissive or shamed posture as Vladmir Putin passed was handicapped by the mysterious unavailability of the photo in question, which the Washington Post published at least twice but has not made available on-line, even to accompany letters criticizing it. Well, the Post published the photo, in its print edition, yet again today and still I cannot track it down on the Post website. One reason appears to be that it comes from a Russian news agency.
I have found the version above, however, taken by the same photographer a split second after the one in question. In this one, Putin has just passed the President; in the photo the Post used, he was just about to pass him. The expression and postures of everyone in the two photos are the same.
You may want to reconsider the post “Ethics Quiz: Photojournalism And The President’s Meaningful, Meaningless Bowed Head”with it, rather than what I used last week, in mind.
(And why didn’t anyone tell me that the “a” and the “l” in “photojournalism” were transposed in the headline?)
Ethics Alarms 
Aww…he was just looking to see why the knife in the end of his shoe would not eject.
For what it is worth and my opinon, this photo shows two of the most dangerous men in the world. But will rank Putin as the most dangerous. Russian history clearly shows never trust a Russian leader.
Loathe as I am to do so, I’m gonna defend Obama here.
There’s no way to say this next part without sounding patronizing: I have had good friends and treasured colleagues who are African American, and my first year of college I shared a four-student “suite” (Ohio State’s name for it) with three African American roommates. That wasn’t intended by the school, but we got along okay.
Whites and African-Americans use different body language in various circumstances. This next part has been studied lots: when two whites are talking, the speaker typically looks in a lot of different directions; the listener typically keeps his/her eyes focused on the speaker. In African-American culture, it’s the opposite: the speaker keeps eyes on the listener, the listener looks in different directions.
Within microcultures, this works fine, because that’s what we expect. When a white is talking to an African-American and sees eyes moving, the white typically things he/she is being ignored. When a white listens to an African American with eyes drilled, he/she feels a threat.
Interpretations of body language appear to be cultural. From the two photos referenced, it’s clear that Putin was clowing. In my experience, it is COMMON for African-Americans to express surprised humor by looking down – way down.
Obama is a disaster as a president, but based on my experience he was behaving in an entirely appropriate way, based on cultural roots. This time. He appears to have bowed before other world leaders, and I’m not about to cut him slack on those without learning more.
Well, I’m not sure you can assert however that Obama was raised in African-American culture. You may wish to check Hawaii, Indonesia, and ultimately predominantly white colleges to determine his cultural background.
But I’ll defend O on this one also. As much of an incompetent, weak, accidental “leader” (read as “instigator”, “agitator”, and “activist”) he is, I think this image just captures him in an animated laugh.
But I’ll defend O on this one also. As much of an incompetent, weak, accidental “leader” (read as “instigator”, “agitator”, and “activist”) he is, I think this image just captures him in an animated laugh.
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Yes.
It might just be that when he laughs in some circumstances he looks down.
Kind of like: I shouldn’t be laughing but I am.
There are plenty of TRUE bad things about him for us to discuss, anyway. heheh
Anybody else notice that Putin’s suit jacket is way to big for him?
Maybe that’s what they were laughing at, some sort of Tommy Boy inverse Yakov Smirnoff style joke: “In Russia, Little guy is in fat coat!”
Well, that makes #3.
Will the Russian reversal become an Ethics Alarms running gag now?
Or will Ethics Alarms become a Russian Reversal running gag now?
Aw man, I missed the other ones and thought I was being original.
He’s been working out.
What would be the strategic significance of a bulimic or anorexic Russian president?
Or perhaps his American PR Firm fell down on the job.