Reply To: Scary new breed of fauxtographers.

[fstopper89]

he proudly boasts on one of his pages “Looks like some media relations is in order” on a video he shot titled “confused firefighter.” He was shooting video of the multiple-fatality scene when a firefigter came running toward him yelling “Sir! Sir! You’re beyond our line! Please get back!” He made up some “media”websites and FB pages and therefore thinks he is official media. He has clothing he probably had ordered from a screen printer with “Sheboygan Daily Incident Response” in bold on the back which many people probably see that and believe it’s legitimate. He has official-looking badges with a firefighter symbol, the Maltese cross, and a firefighter commented on the image of it warning him that it looks like he’s impersonating a fire official. It’s pretty sad really. ANY one of us could make a FB page regurgitating news and scanner calls and order custom clothing and print a press badge. He apparently ran for mayor last year and another public seat this year and someone posted the story from the real newspaper. In it it cites his past he’s not proud of, like creating a fake Twitter page for his opponent to slander him (the guy’s lawyer had to send Asher a cease and decist letter for it) and also sent vulgar emails to the recent opponents for a town seat. He’s made a terrible name for himself and hopefully he will be scrutinized further now.

Today even I saw a scary accident photo a real photojournalist posted on his page (I went to college with the guy). It was a bad rollover where the car went down an embankment next to rr tracks. the roof of the car had been cut to remove the victim. the photo showed the mangled car, and in the background the firefighters carrying the stretcher. the victim was not visible, from the way he shot the photo. Her name was not posted until later when the police released it. She was ok, not dead. Out of curiosity I scrolled through his photos on his page and he mostly has positive news-worthy images as well as some acidents and fires. But the difference between his and Asher’s is that he had images that showed the news, told the story, yet exhibited tact. That is excellent photojournalism.