BagNews reads the pictures.

Bagnews analyzes and reports news and media images. In an ever more visual society, BagNews seeks to better understand the levels of meaning, the underlying story lines and the various agendas reflected in the more prominent news pictures of the day. Because socially critical pictures have a near-impossible time breaking through the news filter, we also publish, and provide a careful look at original photojournalism and concerned photography.

No other site is as committed and singularly focused on the social, cultural and political “reading” of the individual picture. Given the power of photos to influence and persuade, we feel it is vital for citizens to become better “readers” and consumers of visual news, messaging and spin. With “visual literacy” as our goal, we study the content and context of key images to reveal bias, narrative, stereotypes and character. We are interested in all persuasive imagery, whether conservative, liberal or commercial.

Our main tool, besides the key images in the media sphere, is the incisive analysis of our contributors and our community. BagNews is not a lecture but an ongoing conversation between professionals from the photojournalism world, visual scholars and leading instructors from liberal arts, communications and photography programs and institutions, and our insightful and dedicated readership.

BAGnews originated in 2001 from a daily political cartoon on a lunch bag intended to engage high school kids in the news. Michael Shaw, BagNews publisher and clinical psychologist, adapted the site to focus on in-depth analysis of news photos in 2003. Today, BagNews’ approach and visual analysis is part of the visual studies and photojournalism curriculum at many universities and colleges.

The site has received important recognition over the years, including:

• Picture of the Year International Award of Excellence for Issue Reporting in Multimedia — 2010
• Webby Awards finalist for Best Political Blog (along with Huffington Post and Columbia Journalism Review) — 2006.
• Winner — 2006 Koufax Award — Best Post.
• Winner — First Gilliard Grant of Merit for Excellence in Journalism and News Blogging — Netroots Nation 2008.
• Credentialled blogger — 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Notes

BagNews Notes is dedicated to visual, political, and media analysis of editorial images, whether keyed to current headlines or specific cultural themes. Anchored by daily analysis provided by BagNews founder and publisher Michael Shaw, Notes also offers analysis by a list of regular and guest contributors.

Originals

BagNews Originals provides a direct channel between the visual and written reporting of the photojournalist and a larger, socially-concerned audience. Originals takes an extended look at one photographer’s work over the course of a month, focusing on stories that are not being told by traditional media. We will follow many of these stories on an ongoing basis while drawing our readership into a conversation about them. New posts appear in BNO approximately twice a week.

Nina Berman and Alan Chin are the two staff photo contributors to Originals. Occasional and past contributors include: Tim Fadek, Mario Tama, Lori Grinker, Jason Andrew and Peter van Agtmael.

Salon

The BagNews Salon explores key social imagery and the larger pictorial events of our times by way of live, interactive discussions and multimedia-based conversation between visual experts and photojournalists. Previous topics include an analysis of the early photo coverage of the Haiti earthquake; the media narrative of Obama at the 100 day mark of his presidency, and a look at post-Katrina New Orleans through the lens of photographer Mario Tama’s multiple visits there. Participants have included Loret Steinberg, Fred Ritchin, John Lucaites, Nathan Stormer, Brian Ulrich, John Schonauer, Tim Fadek, Chris Hondros, Yana Paskova, and Michael Itkoff. BagNews Salon is produced by photographer Sandra Roa, former Lens Blog contributor and International Center of Photography faculty member. Salons are edited and produced by Ida Benedetto. Live discussions are moderated by visual expert and University of Illinois professor Cara Finnegan.