Berkeley Reporter

by Steed Dropout
March 27, 2013

SHOULD JOURNALISM PHOTOS SUGGEST STORIES? OR SHOULD THE STORIES LEAD?

I am about to turn journalism upside down.

The following story was written just so I could publish a photo. Usually I shoot and report, but my stories for the Berkeley Daily Planet were written first; later I selected a photo-essay.

First the story, then the pictures.

At papers like the SF Chronicle and on television, photographers pursue their own stories, but their editors will link their footage to the ten o’clock news.

The Oakland Tribune Media Group has, for at least a decade, put photography in the hands of reporters — saving money when my friend David Yee lost his press photographer’s job to someone like me.

We’re news reporters first and reluctant photojournalists second.

I spent so much time shooting mayor’s election forums last year , I often came away without a story. My editor saw me in action with the camera, and told me to stick to the story.

Shot that snapped me out of my reluctance to shoot. Mayor with aide stows chairs after calling the meeting, presiding over it and headline-grabbing. Photo by Ted Friedman/Berkeley Daily Planet.

Continue reading “Journalism Upside Down” »

by Steed Dropout
Mar. 17, 2013

FUCK THE POLICE MARCH, PART ONE

The last Berkeley Fuck the Police march I covered (marched in) for the Berkeley Daily Planet was last year, Feb. 18th. Nothing happened on the march but a Berkeley man was murdered at his home in an exclusive Berkeley hills mansion.

He was killed before fuck the police marchers entered Berkeley from downtown Oakland. Remember this as you read on.

City of Berkeley Police, who diverted an officer — who might have prevented the murder — later said, they were “monitoring occupy.” I was there. The police made one lame show of force near midnight. They cruised by in command cars and gave the marchers the stink eye. That’s it.

Feb. 18 last year. Occupy Oakland arrives in Berkeley at 7:20 to join Occupy Berkeley. Photo by Ted Friedman.

Continue reading “Murdered Berkeley Man, Peter M. Cukor, Didn’t Have to Die” »

by Steed Dropout
Mar. 8, 2013 | PS added: March 12, 2013

ONLY IN BERKELEY

I could be charged with aiding a child molester for writing this. Keep in mind that I write from Berkeley California where we dance to a different drummer, although we don’t dance to anyone. We’re radical skeptics, in the tradition of Lord Berkeley.

Anyone could be a child molester but many child molesters work with kids.

Steven was accused of being a child molester. He has zero exposure to kids.

I met Steven last year when he told me an old friend of mine had died in Washington State. He seemed unusually sympathetic. He would soon lose his best friend, Harold, who died recently after forty years on the street.

I could tout Steven. But Steven could be Jesus Christ in Berkeley and be called a child molester.

Berkeley weirdo in trouble. Photo by Ted Friedman.

Continue reading “Child Molesting Berkeley Style” »