One of the most troubling aspects of the photo coverage of Hurricane Sandy in the onset, and then the onslaught of the disaster is the near absence of the homeless. Scanning through the major wire services and photo galleries of the larger corporate news organizations, there is an enormous amount of photography documenting the wind, sea and pelting rain, as well as the pounding effects on urban as well as outlying property and infrastructure. Regarding those citizens people relegated to the streets, however, apparently the homeless — as is true in this critical election we are in the closing days of — disappeared into the blind spot.

There are some articles to be found (HuffPo, NY Observer) focusing on the homeless. The accompanying photos seem to be snapped by local or amateur sources, however. If you were following the media photo stream, on the other hand, you’ll notice there is no shortage of images of the sandbagged or emptied New York Stock Exchange or America’s retail-industrial complex so professionally-protected.

The notable exception, it seems, is a poignant photo essay (“Hurricane Sandy approaches New York City as homeless remain outside“), mostly taken in Harlem and Central Park, offered by the freelance photojournalist network, Demotix. Unfortunately, the best link for you to see it is on the Demotix site itself (click just above) because it doesn’t seem like any publisher of scale or reach chose to purchase it.

http://www.bagnewsnotes.com/2012/10/did-wire-services-big-media-overlook...

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