The Rolling Stone is a pop culture media outlet with a primary demographic consisting of white males without children in the 18-34 age group who have attained a college degree or graduate degree. The August 19, 2014 online version of the magazine posted a short article written by Tim Dickinson titled “Ferguson, Uncensored”. Dickinson’s prelude to Scott Olson’s photo essay, a collection of poignant snapshots of what “cops in Ferguson (don’t) want you to see”, clearly defines the turmoil as a legitimate protest of citizens voicing righteous grievance about racial injustice and police violence. He highlights the militarized police force used against unarmed citizens. He accuses the Ferguson police of “trampling the first amendment freedoms of protestors (and) punishing journalists who seek to document the events on the ground”. The use of close-up photography, blurred backgrounds, visual repetition of raised hands, as well as the writer’s captions clearly supports the theme of black citizens being victimized.

The photo titled “In Search of Justice,” is a close-up of a group of black citizens protesting captioned “demonstrators protest the killing of teenager Michael Brown”. The images include a man yelling into a megaphone, another man holding up a sign which reads “Mike White murdered Mike Brown, we need justice,” and multiple people with their hands raised. The background is blurred to focus the attention of the viewer exclusively on the black citizens even though there are people of different ethnicities in the background. Selective focus is one of the methods utilized to sway the opinion of the viewer to align with the author’s bias of black citizens being victimized by police. Interesting, there are no images of violent demonstrators attacking police, damaging property, and looting businesses.  Each photo depicts demonstrators reacting in a civilized and submissive manner. Scott Olsen also combines close-up cropping and blurred background techniques to ensure the viewer focuses on the black people in the photos who are looking off in the distance towards what is inferred to be oppressive law enforcement. This, combined with the raised hands, is meant to toy with the viewer’s emotions to create sympathy for “victimized” black citizens. 

Another photo titled “Leslie Mcspadden,” shows a group of black citizens standing on a church altar with a close-up of two people captioned “Lesley McSpadden, the mother of slain teenager Michael Brown, at Greater St. Marks Family Church”. The background is not blurred because the photo only includes black citizens and the Christian symbolism may connote righteous grieving. Brown’s mother and an unidentified man have their hands raised.  The overall design of the image pulls at the viewer’s heartstrings welling up sympathy for the poor mother grieving the unjust murder of her young son.  This image could project an entirely different message such as forgiveness and a call for peace if it was not attached to the written article and captions.  For example, if we did not know the grieving woman is Brown’s mother, the same photo placed within a compilation images from the recent Charleston Emmanuel Church shooting may result in very different emotions.

In another image titled “Under Arrest,” we see photographer Scott Olson arrested by police and captioned “Getty Images staff photographer Scott Olson is arrested by police as he covers the demonstration following the shooting death of Michael Brown”. The background is blurred to focus the viewer’s attention on the two white policemen arresting Scott Olson who was photographing events in Ferguson after the shooting death of Michael Brown. The author’s intention is most likely to make the viewer question if the police are using excessive force to keep their actions against the protestors from being reported as well as if they are on the photographer’s freedom of speech. This photo appeals to the viewer’s emotions as it depicts the police using militarized restraint of news coverage. Alternatively, this photo would project a very different image if it was posted within a column that reported the police chief’s explanation for the arrests; to make sure that citizens; including media and photographers, remain safe.  People inside prohibited zones who refused police orders to evacuate were forcibly taken to a safe location, processed, and released.

 Tim Dickinson’s written depiction of the Ferguson police and Scott Olson’s photos attached to the article resoundingly support the claim that police are victimizing black citizens.  The visual motif of hands up in surrender to police oppression, close-ups of exasperated black citizens and riot gear clad police, blurred background which align with the author’s viewpoints, and the captions of the photos all support the author’s opinion of police brutality within the African American communities.  The selection of the particular photos used in the article as well as the modifications are intentional to steer the reader to agreement with his viewpoint. This article is a fine example of so-called media bias.  It exemplifies the ability of the media to convincingly report on an event using various imagery to produce the desired reactions from the viewers.
