(July 11) KGO-TV ABC 7 News photographer Craig Southern Reporter Wayne Freedman detained by Napa County Sheriff's.
ABC7 photographer Craig Southern and reporter Wayne Freedman were detained by Napa County Sheriff's deputies while cover a grass fire in Napa's Silverado Country Club on Wednesday afternoon. Both were stopped at a checkpoint by Sheriff's deputies where were told to stop taking pictures of the fire from that location.
When Southern and Freedman questioned the officer's orders, Southern's camera and tripod was confiscated and cell phone broken. Both were handcuffed and placed in the back of a squad car for 15 minutes.
Sheriff's Department Captain Gene Lyerla later apologized and were both released without being charged.
State law allows the media to report and take pictures from with police lines. ABC7 plans to file a complaint against two deputies and plans to pursue all legal options.
State law 409.5:
http://www.ppagla.org/documents/mediaguide/05access.html
KGO Blog:
http://newsdirectorblog.abc7news.com/2007/07/napa-sheriffs-d.html
KGO story, video and still photos:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=local&id=5473420
From ABC 7 News TV Photographer Craig Southern:
We arrived at fire scene around 3.30. We were stopped and cleared through the first police checkpoint.
A little farther up we encountered a Napa County Sheriff and CHP officer at a second checkpoint. We were asked to pull over while CHP checked to see how much farther we might drive. Meanwhile we interviewed a resident trying to get back to his house. I gathered video while Wayne Freedman talked with Sgt. Perry of Napa Sheriff's office. He then cleared us to go forward.
Up the road two deputies were standing outside their vehicle (parked on the side) saw us approaching and ordered us back. I stopped the vehicle, backed it up behind squad car and got out. Wayne walked towards deputies on passenger side of vehicle, I went around driver side to get clear view of opposite hillside.
One of the deputies was shouting us back and met me at the front of their vehicle. I put my tripod on the ground to set up and the deputy grabbed my tripod before I could place the camera on it, and carried it away.
I shot video of deputy walking off with tripod and the other deputy said to him "grab his camera, He's out of here". I turned to shoot Wayne objecting with the deputy when the other grabbed my camera from behind and forced me into the hood of the squad car.
My left hand was cuffed while my right was holding onto camera and wrestling with officer demanding I drop it.
Wayne saw this happening and started to take pictures with his cell phone. One of the officers told Wayne to step back, and threatened to put him in jail.
He ripped the phone from Wayne's hand, breaking it in two throwing the top piece onto the street.
Wayne was cuffed and they tried to take his microphone and reporters notebook.
We were placed in squad car and held for a short time and released. No citation, no violation.
This account is for your information to assemble a story or facts.
If you have other questions I can be reached at:
southern_craig@hotmail.com
Craig Southern
ABC7 photographer
Freelance journalist Joshua Wolf freed.
By DAVID KRAVETS Associated Press Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A freelance videographer walked out of federal prison Tuesday after spending more time behind bars than any other journalist for refusing to testify to a grand jury. Joshua Wolf, 24, in a deal with prosecutors, posted online the unaired videotape that he had refused to give federal authorities, defense lawyer David Greene said. U.S. District Judge William Alsup, who had jailed Wolf for 226 days, had approved his release earlier in the day. "Joshua Wolf has complied with the grand jury subpoena," prosecutor Jeffrey Finigan said in court papers filed Tuesday. Wolf spent more than seven months in a federal prison in Dublin, Calif. after refusing to obey a subpoena to turn over his videotape of a chaotic 2005 San Francisco street protest during the G-8 summit.
The government is investigating how a San Francisco police officer's skull was fractured during the melee and who set a police car on fire. The footage Wolf posted Tuesday does not show those events, Greene said. Prosecutors said they were not inclined to seek his grand jury testimony, though they left open the possibility that he could be subpoenaed again later. "I will not under any circumstances testify before a grand jury," Wolf said as he left the prison. Wolf's lawyers had argued that the First Amendment gave him the right to refuse the subpoena for unaired video.
The judge, however, cited a 1972 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the U.S. Constitution does not entitle reporters, or anybody else, to withhold confidential sources or unpublished material from a grand jury investigation or criminal trial. No federal shield law protects reporters, unlike California's shield law, which allows reporters to keep sources and unpublished material secret. Wolf's incarceration time surpassed that of Vanessa Leggett, a Houston freelancer who served 168 days in 2001 and 2002 for refusing to reveal unpublished material about a murder case. (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
SFBAPPA's Bowling Results 2005
Top results of SFBAPPA's Bowling Tournament. Special thanks to Jane Tyska for putting the tournament together. See photos on the SFBAPPA Web site: www.sfbappa.org
1st-place team: 1372 points (combined score for three games)
Jane Tyska
John Weaver
Doug Oakley
2nd-place team: 1232 (combined score for three games)
Nick Lammers
Clark Lammers
D. Ross Cameron
Shelley Firth
3rd-place team: 1165 (combined score for three games)
Ron Riesterer
Nicole Gottwald
Katy Turley
Suzanna Mitchell
Best Form:
Nicole Gottwald
Most Gutterballs:
Suzanna Mitchell, 7
Most Foot Faults: (not a category this year, but will include next time!)
Nick Lammers, 5
More bowling info,
Jane Tyska
tyska@earthlink.net
Oakland Tribune chief photographer Nick Lammers. (Photo by Dana Downie)
Freelance photographer John Weaver bowls. (Photo by Dana Downie)
Hayward Review photographer Jane Tyska slings the ball down the alley in her prize-winning form. (Photo by Dana Downie)
John Weaver smiles at clearing the pins. (Photo by Dana Downie)
Hayward Review photographer Jane Tyska bowls. (Photo by Shelly Firth)
Jane Tyska, photographer with Hayward Review and organizer of bowling tournament. Photo by D. Ross Cameron.
Nick Lammers, chief photographer of Oakland Tribune. Photo by D. Ross Cameron
Suzanna Mitchell from ANG photo. Photo by D.Ross Cameron.
Suzanna Mitchell, of ANG photo celebrates. Photo by D. Ross Cameron.
Date: Sat, Mar 10, 2001 3:17 AM EDT
Mickey Pfleger Update
I got the results of the biopsy of my brain tumor yesterday. The overallnews
is good in that I have a low grade (slow-growing) tumor called anOligodendroglioma
(a person starts learning big words like this when onehas a brain tumor).My
neurosurgeon is currently having some genetic typing done on the tumor during
the next few weeks and will then present my case to a tumor board of doctors
who will discuss my case and try to come to a consensus as to what they feel
would be the best course of treatment for the tumor.After that, my doctor will
give me his recommendation as to the best wayto proceed. Then I will have to
make my decision.Thanks again to everyone for their support and concern. I really
appreciate it!As always, e-mail and phone calls are always welcome.Mickey Pflegerpfotog@endzone.com
(650) 355-1772
Sacramento Bee Photographer Attacked
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A newspaper photographer who returned safely from such flashpoints as Panama, Haiti and Somalia was in serious condition Tuesday after a savage beating suffered while taking pictures for a springtime feature.
John Trotter, 36, a photographer for The Sacramento Bee, had been photographing children frolicking in record high temperatures Monday when a group of eight to 12 men demanded his film and began beating him. Trotter remained in fair condition Wednesday at University of California, Davis, Medical Center in Sacramento.
Trotter suffered serious head injuries.
"It looks like he wandered into a drug neighborhood, and for whatever reason, those people involved in that sort of activity didn't want him being there," said Sacramento police spokeswoman Pam Alejandre.
No arrests had been made.
The Sacramento Bee referred all calls to Executive Editor Gregory Favre, who issued a brief written statement.
"It is so sad and ironic that a photographer who is so gentle and sensitive as John should find himself a victim of such a vicious attack," Favre said.
"He has spent his career trying, through his work, to show the best in people," he said.
Trotter, an international photographer for The Bee since 1987, covered the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1989, the killer cyclone that hit Bangladesh in 1991, the 1992 U.S. airlift to Somalia, and the 1994 unrest in Haiti.
Friends described him as mild-mannered and non-confrontational. An avid cyclist, he once took an extended leave to ride his bicycle across the country.
Trotter apparently remembers little of the attack and may be of little help in identifying his assailants, The Bee reported Monday.
Residents of the Oak Park neighborhood where the attack occurred said they suspected the assailants were afraid of having their pictures published because they feared being arrested for prior illegal activities.
"It shouldn't have happened, that's all there is to it," said James Usher, 37, who lives a few houses away from the scene of the attack.
"Man came out to do his job, and some people thought he was doing something else, they come up and beat him up without even asking what he was doing," Usher said, shaking his head.
Others in the area expressed anger that the high-profile incident would tarnish the reputation of the racially mixed neighborhood of modest homes. Oak Park has struggled in recent years to build community pride and declare itself a drug-free zone.
"What they did was wrong," said Mark La Jeuness, 19, who lives a few houses from where the beating occurred. "Here he was, making the neighborhood look good, and they got him, which makes the neighborhood look bad."
There was no suggestion from either police or neighborhood residents that the attack was motivated by hostility toward the media.
Trotter may have been the victim of drug criminals who feared being photographed, police and neighbors speculated.
Churches and neighborhood organizations in Oak Park also expressed outrage at the incident and sent messages wishing Trotter well.
Jim Gordon, editor of the National Press Photographers Association's News Photographer Magazine in Bowling Green, Ohio, said he knows of no similar attack against a news photographer, although the job is often dangerous when assignments involve coverage of violence or war.
Society of Professional Journalists Director Greg Christopher also said the beating appeared to be an aberration.
"I guess the lesson seems to be, 'always be on guard,'' said Scott Summerdorf, director of photography for the San Francisco Chronicle. ''But half the fun of this job is going out and meeting people, knocking on doors, going to neighborhoods you don't really know."
You can also email John Trotter at: JohnT76635@aol.com
Ron Eveslage just retired...
Here's a message from television photographer Ron Eveslage, who just retired. A kind note from any TV friends would be appreciated. As follows: Your dues notice caught up with me..but I'm out of the action in the Bay Area...I've moved into semi retirement at my farm in Mississippi. I'm still taking a few assignments for old clients, but am trying to gracefully bowout of the day to day grind. So far its working. I wish the best for all the hard working photogs in the Bay Area..I will miss seeing all my old friends at the "Big Stories" that happen on such a regular basis in California. Should anyone want to contact me, I can be reached at:
Ron Eveslage
PO Box 1983
Corinth MS 38835 Phone # 601-286-0959
email: eveslage@tsixroads.com
posted by,
Paul Sakuma
San Francisco Bay Area Press Photographers Association
SFBAPPA@aol.co
Photographers' Massage
Vacaville Reporter photographer and certified massage therapist Teresa Willis is giving a special rate for a massage to photographers with back aches. For $30.00 she will give a photographer with a back ache a massage for one hour and fifteen minutes. A special price for three - one hour and fifteen minute massage for $75.00. To schedule and appointment, call her at (707) 446-4015. She can also be reached at the paper at 707-448-2200. Her massage studio is located at 406 Main St. in downtown Vacaville. Massage available are: transformational body work, relaxation, stress reduction, Jin Shin Jyutus, Shen and lymphatic.
John Storey's 49'er photos
For those of you want to see more San Francisco Examiner photographer
John Storey's photos, check out his
web site on the 49ers. John took
a leave of absense from the Examiner to work on this web site last season.
Sports California Magazine
Sports California is an all-sports publication which covers the San Francisco Bay area professional sports teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, Golden State Warriors, San Jose Sharks, San Francisco Giants, and Oakland Athletics. The bi-monthly publication is tabloid size and printed on a superior book stock paper. High quality photography and writing, team scores and statistics, sports information and analysis, are what make up each issue of Sports California, whose goal is to provide the sports fans of the San Francisco Bay area with a first class publication to go along with its championship sports teams. Future issues will include player interviews, in-depth sports features, reader opinions, and more, as Sports California expands in size and circulation. We will also be expanding our coverage of Bay area sports to include collegiate and other non-professional sports activities.
Sports California is distributed free to select locations throughout the San Francisco Bay area, and by subscription. Sports California currently has a circulation of over 10,000 copies, which will be increasing each issue. Main distribution locations include Candlestick Park and the Oakland Coliseum, as well as book stores, sports bars, restaurants, hotels, and business locations throughout the Bay area.
Six issues of Sports California have been published to date. These issues have quickly become collectors items. The next issue will be published in late March, 1996.
Sports California is produced on a Macintosh computer by Mickey Pfleger, his wife, Melissa Steele, and son and daughter, Amanda & Tai Steele-Pfleger. The Pflegers currently do all production work including advertising sales, editorial, photography, and distribution.
Computer programming for Sports California online edition is done by Tai and Amanda Steele-Pfleger. Tai has started a new business designing web pages for individuals and businesses called Impact Pageworks. If you would like to have a world wide web page designed for you, contact Tai at (415) 355-1772 or send e-mail .
The new ONLINE edition of Sports California will include articles and photographs of San Francisco Bay area sports on a timely basis to complement the printed edition which is published bimonthly. This site is presently under construction and will be completely redesigned during February.
Check out these links.
Sports California is looking for great photographs of Bay area sports and human interest sports picture stories. They do not have to be of professional sports teams and professional athletes. They can be of anything relating to sports. Please mail a copy of the photo or tearsheet to:
Mickey Pfleger
Sports California
P.O. Box 280727, San Francisco, CA 94128.
Low resolution electronic copies of the photos can be sent via e-mail to: pfotog@endzone.com. Payment will be made for one-time use of the photographs in Sports California. Mail subscriptions to the printed edition of Sports California are available for $12.00 for six issues.
Pete Leabo Computer Destroyed
DENVER (AP) - Pete Leabo (T-One computers company) says the case that held his $7,500 computer could have withstood just about anything.
But, then, it hadn't seen the likes of the infamous automated baggage system at Denver's airport, which is celebrating its one year anniversary. The airport opened a year ago, several months late, in part because the baggage system kept chewing up and ejecting suitcases.
The case and the computer - which have survived travels of more than 150,000 around the world - were badly mangled when they were unloaded there.
"You could have driven a plane over this case," says Leabo, who lives in Petaluma, Calif. "It wouldn't have suffered this much damage if they'd thrown it out of the cargo hold over Colorado."
Leabo, a marketing director for a computer company, was in Denver for a convention through today. He arrived Tuesday on a United Airlines flight, but his case never showed up on the baggage carousel at Denver International Airport.
He finally found it in a back room.
One corner of the empty case was demolished, and the cover was lashed on with tape. In a plastic bucket nearby lay the computer, its steel casing ripped away, wires dangling and the keyboard warped.
The case probably fell out of one of the automated baggage system's wheeled carts and was hit by another of the 250-pound carts, which move at high speed on elevated tracks, according to United spokesman Tony Molinaro.
Leabo says that during his travels, the case had passed safely through airports in Australia, Europe, North America and Malaysia.
United issued him a check for $1,200, the airline's maximum for any damaged
bag.
LatinoLink
"A website 'con sabor.'" That's how the creators of LatinoLink like to describe their electronic magazine. LatinoLink has drawn a steady stream of positive reviews and thousands of enthusiastic readers since its June 1 launch. The publication combines stories from the New York Times Syndicate and other wire services with articles and commentary from a dozen contributing journalists around the country. Sections range from news to travel, art and entertainment. The unifying thread? That stories and photo essays have a Latino focus, whether from the U.S. or Latin America.
"We wanted to create a place that would provide news and commentary that could stimulate a lively dialogue among Latinos on the Web," says publisher Lavonne Luquis, a former newspaper journalist who co-founded LatinoLink with San Francisco photographer Max Ramirez. "So far, the response from readers has been overwhelmingly positive. People are using our feedback page as exactly the kind of forum we sought to provide."
Between 3,000 and 3,500 readers visit LatinoLink each week. Luquis hopes to be drawing 5,000 readers per week by year's end. "Circulation and advertising go hand-in-hand. And we need advertising revenue to thrive."
LatinoLink's roster of advertisers includes the San Francisco-based discount brokerage firm Charles Schwab, and a Puerto Rico-based specialty catalogue.
Photographers are encouraged to submit work with a Latino focus. Samples should be sent to Max Ramirez at 601 Van Ness Ave., Suite E-3309, San Francisco, CA 94102, or via email as attached gif files to max@latinolink.com or maxfoto@aol.com. 415 824-3570 Fax: 415.824.3596
Hot Coco
"Hot Coco" is the new web site of Contra Costa Newspapers Inc. If you'd like to visit, point your browser to www.hotcoco.com. If you'd like to go directly to the ain't-seen-nothing-like-it photo gallery. It represents the work of photographers employed by Contra Costa Newspapers Inc. daily publications Contra Costa Times, West County Times, Valley Times and San Ramon Valley Times, Antioch Ledger, weekly Contra Costa Sun and Brentwood News. The web site name comes from the nickname for the county in which most of these papers are located, Contra Costa. I hope you'll visit. Feedback is welcome.
Cindi Christie, Photo Editor, West
County Times.
If anyone out there has access to the web and cares to look at some old pictures of mine. This is a new site on The Gate that will have work from a different photographer each week...this week some of my old photos are up there...hopefully I will update with some new ones in the near future...
Thanks, Brad Mangin, Freelance
News Jobs, New Locations
Sandra Eisert has relocated to the Seattle area after leaving the Examiner where she is currently working for Microsoft's new on-line service the Microsoft Network in their MSN News operation. She is involved in the production of MSN's multimedia news presentation which is constantly being updated throughout the day. San Jose State University photojournalism graduate Leslie Salzmann was helping out Eisert in Washington. In addition to Sandra, Mike Spinelli and Dave Dornlas are also working for MSN. MSN similar to AOL, CompuServe and Prodigy went live in August along with the release of Windows 95. Mike is one of the Category Managers in the Sports & Recreation Category. His area covers a wide variety of sports from Football to Rodeo. Spinelli who spent many years doing sports photography for the San Mateo Times is able to put his knowledge to use while he monitors BBS conversations, hosts chats, designs icons and banners as well as works to promote his area. He works closely with Forum Managers as well as ICPs(Independent Content Providers) who include "ShaqWorld On-line" and @Play NYT Magazine Group. Dave is the Photography Forum Manager, his duties are similar to Mike's except that he has a greater responsibly for the design and development of content in his area. Besides creating an area that covers all aspects of photography, one of his goals is to showcase the work of leading photographers, including photojournalists, using state of the art technology such as MediaView and Blackbird. He currently is seeking photographers who'd be interested in participating in chats where users can ask question and gain the understanding of how working photographers do their job.
Fred Pardini Retires
KGO-TV photographer Fred Pardini was planning to retire in June, but he finished work early after slipping on some stairs at KGO in mid-January. Fred had earlier decided to finish work in March, take a few months of vacation and then end his career in June. But due to his ripped archilles tendon, Fred is out on disability in a cast and therapy for at least three months. He'll will still take his vacation and finally hang up his video camera as planned in June. Fred said, "This is a total pain in the ass and it's pretty sad" as he hobbles around his house in San Francisco in a cast from his groin to his toe. Fred is the only photographer to have won a Press Club Award for best newspaper photography and also a local Emmy for his television work. He worked for the Hearst Corporation's Call-Bulletin and Examiner in San Francisco for 11 years until 1956 and then worked at KGO-TV for the past 30 years. He started with a Speed Graphic to Rolleflex to Pentax switching over to television with a heavy Auracon film camera and finally to electronic camera. Fred is the San Francisco Bay Area Press Photographers Association's Press Parking Chairman for the past several years. He has neogotiated for years with the San Francisco Police Department for our parking press cards. Last year the police department refused to honor our press parking priviledges.
Excerpts from San Francisco Chronicle edition Saturday, June 29
Flap Over AP Photo Contract - Free-lancers must give up all claims to work
The battle over rights to intellectual property - a flash point with the emergence of the Internet - is drawing the attention and ire of Associated Press photographers. For the first time, the news organization is asking free-lance photographers to sign over all rights, electronics and otherwise, to all of their photos, even their unused ones. Those who don't could lose work. In addition, the nation's largest news wire service said it will not be liable for any injuries or claims against free-lance on assignment for the AP. The controversial contract, sent to photographers this month with a July 1 deadline, has triggered a storm of protest, prompting AP to re-evaluate the policy and extend the deadline. Meanwhile, angry photographers are organizing and in some cases threatening lawsuits to quash AP's seemingly strong-arm tactics. "AP is trying to bully people," said Brad Mangin, an AP free-lance photographer who lives in Union City. "The bottom line is that they don't care about quality, only the bottom line." Andy Kuno, who refuses to sign the contract, said AP simply wants to "hold rights to anything that appears on the Internet." Many, like Ben Margot of Alameda, who has worked for AP for more than 10 years, are town. "It's 80 percent of my salary," he said. "A lot of us have families and financial commitments."
AP reportedly is training inexperienced photographers to replace their stringers, sources said.
National photo organizations have moved swiftly to protest AP's prospective deal. The American Society of Media Photographers in Princeton, N.J. sent a strongly worded letter to AP's board of directors Thursday threatening legal action if the news agency goes through with its original contract. Meanwhile, the National Association of Freelance Photographers, a New York grass-roots organization formed over the Internet to protest the contract, is considering filing a lawsuit or injunction. "Frankly, we were surprised by the reaction; we value our photographers a great deal," said AP spokeswoman Tori Smith, who was unaware of potential suit. Still, sources said AP extended the contract because it is bowing to pressure from photographers and it is fearful of losing many of its best photographers during the Summer Olympics and the Democratic and Republican national convention. The impetus for the contract could be the introduction of a new on-line service called The Wire. This AP service, expected to debut this fall, would feature the work of AP photographers - who have signed the new contracts. "I think this is an issue not only for writers and photographers, but with any company that creates a Web site, " Smith said. "The Internet does not have a business plan." AP's Smith said the New York company, which is composed of national news organizations, is reviewing the contract and has no new deadline. But she said it was dead set on securing rights to its assigned work in writing. "(Free-lance photographers) are independent contractors," she said. "We hire them to shoot an assignment. They shoot three rolls of film, they bring the film back, we use it and we keep the negatives. This is no different from the agreement we've had for years. Now it's in writing." Vin Alabiso, AP's executive director of photography, said a number of newspapers including USA Today, the Chicago Tribune and Hartford Courant are considering similar policies. "The whole industry is moving in this direction," he said. In addition, sources said Reuters, Gannett an UPI are pursing the same kinds of policies.