Catchlight Summit | Who Tells the Story

Real Photo Show with Michael Chovan-Dalton

Part 1 of 2 of my conversations with presenters at the CatchLight Visual Storytelling Summit April 19-20, 2022 at the Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco. In part 1 I speak with Mabel Jiménez and Josué Rivas about their then upcoming presentation on who gets to tell the story and how the story is made. We preview the talk and also speak about their own work and experiences in the documentary storytelling world.

The summit was recorded and will be posted at https://www.catchlight.io/2022-visual-storytelling-summit

This episode covers the following panel:

Photojournalism’s Ethical Question: Who Gets to Tell a Community’s Story? With Mabel Jiménez x Felix Uribe x Yesica Prado x Josué Rivas

CatchLight Local Fellows Yesica Prado and Felix Uribe alongside CatchLight Local California Visual Desk Editor Mabel Jiménez and CatchLight Global Fellow Josué Rivas dive into the nuances of how to work ethically and collaboratively in communities, particularly those that are disproportionately impacted by crisis. Jiménez will also discuss her work as an SFAC Artist in Residence at SF’s COVID Command Center, which provided unique access to the city’s disaster service workers, COVID-19 response/prevention efforts and mutual aid during the crisis—enabling her to document a crisis, up close. The conversation will be moderated by CatchLight Global Fellow, Josué Rivas—Founder of INDÍGENA, Standing Strong Project, and Co-Founder of Indigenous Photograph.

This episode is sponsored by the Charcoal Book Club, a monthly subscription service for photobook enthusiasts. Working with the most respected names in contemporary photography, Charcoal selects and delivers essential photobooks to a worldwide community of collectors. Each month, members receive a signed, first-edition monograph and an exclusive print to add to their collections. www.charcoalbookclub.com

Mabel Jiménez (pronouns she/her) is an independent photographer and reporter based in San Francisco. Being raised in Tijuana, 15 minutes from the Mexico/U.S. border, themes of biculturalism and immigration have influenced her photographic and journalistic work. She has documented San Francisco’s Latino community since 2008 and is the former Photo Editor for El Tecolote bilingual newspaper, where she continues as a regular contributor. During her seven-year tenure in the position, she created, produced and curated a yearly group photography exhibition showcasing the newspaper’s best photojournalism. https://www.mabeljimenez.com

Josué Rivas HE (Mexica/Otomi) is a creative director, visual storyteller, and educator working at the intersection of art, journalism, and social justice. His work aims to challenge the mainstream narrative about Indigenous peoples, build awareness about issues affecting Native communities across Turtle Island, and be a visual messenger for those in the shadows of our society. He is a 2017 Magnum Foundation Photography and Social Justice Fellow, founder of the Standing Strong Project, co-founder of Natives Photograph and winner of the 2018 FotoEvidence Book Award with World Press Photo. https://www.josuerivasfoto.com