Tag: journalism

Remembering Friend and Founding Editor of People Magazine, Richard Stolley

Posted on by B. Sharp

By now, several of my fellow journalists have no doubt seen the headlines in the New York Times, Washington Post or People magazine about the passing of legendary editor and journalist, Richard B. Stolley just a few weeks ago. As each article attests, he was a great man and great orator, with an even greater legacy in journalism. Among his many accolades from his magazine days at Time, Life and the founding editor of People was, of course, his famous acquisition of the Abraham Zapruder film of the John F. Kennedy assassination for Life magazine.

While attending the Yale School of Management executive education course on digital media and magazine publishing, I had the good fortune to meet and befriend Dick Stolley. Our Yale experience started with Dick giving an inspired speech about the importance of journalism and its future. When he included his take on the fate of our nation, I remember being impressed by how fair and balanced his own reporting was. Without mincing words or dodging issues, he found the good as well as the bad on both sides. Later, he would overhear me in the hall wondering if we’d have orators as good as the day before. In a booming voice, he said, “Gentlemen, I assure you, you’re going to be blown away by the speakers we have for you today.” A little stunned from unknowingly being overheard, I responded by saying, “I’m not sure they could top your opening speech, Dick. I came away from that truly inspired.” I didn’t get the impression much could rattle him, but he seemed genuinely pleased by the compliment.

One sunny morning, I was fortunate to have an even more enviable opportunity to chat with him over breakfast, both of us gazing at a glorious view of New Haven Harbor. It was a lengthy, one-on-one conversation regarding the history and future of media. I was grateful to discover his optimism.

He was also the keynote on our last night together at the Yale School of Management campus. He sat onstage and introduced the documentary film, “Zapruder and Stolley: Witness to an Assassination” which we then watched. When the short film faded to black, we were left just hearing the projector running. I don’t mind telling you, I had chills. Afterwards, he came onstage again to take any questions. The entire class was speechless.

Later that evening, we all had dinner in a formal banquet hall, and I was fortunate enough to sit right beside Dick (see the lead photo). He had a piercing gaze, and it took a little courage to make small talk with him. Once I did, I found he was quite receptive. We bonded over both of us owning a classic Mustang. His was a silver fastback with red interior. Eventually, I showed him one of our more popular covers for the ABA Journal, entitled “Did Litigation Kill the Beatles?” We had printed two versions of the cover. I showed him the conceptual one our staff liked departmentally, which he said was good. Then, I showed him the other cover with all four Beatles faces proudly on display. He looked at it and smiled widely. “That one! That’s the one,” he said emphatically, pointing to it while still wearing a grin. It turns out he was more than right. We later asked our readers to vote for their favorite cover, and, at that point they overwhelmingly chose the same cover as he by 75%. As the voting continued, the margins narrowed, but the Fab Four cover ultimately eked out a slim victory. He really had the magic touch in knowing what would relate to readers.

We stayed in touch in the years since our time together. He was an active member of our Yale alumni group, which I co-manage. I also messaged him directly when I would run across journalists and photographers from Time or Life who knew him. Each spoke very fondly of him and with the utmost respect. He always responded with a great story about each person and asked to pass on his best wishes.

As his obituary in the Washington Post article asserts, Dick Stolley was most assuredly the consummate gentleman. To fellow Yale alumni he was also a mentor, friend and an active member of our Yale alumni group, who, if solicited, readily offered advice and a friendly hello. His legacy is a shining testament to a bygone era of journalism and he will be sorely missed.

Zapruder and Stolley: Witness to an Assassination from Roger Sherman, Florentine Films on Vimeo.

 

Attorney Unearths New Twists in John Wayne Gacy Murder Mystery

Posted on by B. Sharp
Compelling original photography by Wayne Slezak and designed by yours truly.

To say we were about to photograph a sensitive topic would be the understatement of my career. The story had been written and was to be published, so it was too late to steer away from controversy. To put a finer point on things, two bodies had at one time been exhumed from the exact location we were to shoot. The entire world became captivated by this initial narrative as facts on the John Wayne Gacy murders continued to unfold. Almost 45 years later, the unspeakable horrors are still shocking.

Upon my initial read, I knew this story deserved powerful photography and looked no further than Chicago photographer, Wayne Slezak. After several conversations, we each agreed the shots should be in black and white, to refle

 

ct the gravity of the topic and the passing of time. He scouted the area before arranging a time to photograph and realized the particular gravesite we had to shoot was under the constant observation of the caretaker. I was once on assignment in a cemetery and was actually chased by an excavator after the driver saw me start to take pictures. Needless to say, I appreciated Wayne’s level of professionalism in getting us these quality shots free of incident.

I could only imagine the thoughts going through attorney Steven Becker’s head as he strolled through the cemetery for the benefit of the camera. Then I realized it was those exact thoughts which would be compelling to readers. As the photo shows Becker walking towards the site where alleged John Wayne Gacy victim, Michael Marino, was believed to be buried, I wanted to take viewers on that walk with him. I superimposed news photography to take readers back in time to the moment where the revelation of the atrocities was unfolding and the realization that this might also be the fate of the pictured missing child. The large fingerprint is used to represent the maze his mother, Sherry Marion, entered in order to find her missing son and reflects the eventual struggle she and Steven Becker would face in trying to identify him on this very spot.

 

 

“Unearthing Justice” is written by acclaimed author, podcaster and freelancer, Tori Telfer, and is expertly crafted. In fact, this month’s cover story is one of the best feature articles I’ve read in the ABA Journal. I feel very fortunate to have

assigned the photography as well as have designed it. You can read the entire story here, or, if I may suggest, first view it as it was initially designed for publication here and then read the online version, which contains a new statement from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office in response to the story being published and a retort from the law office of attorney Steven Becker.

The timeliness of this story couldn’t be better suited. To see compelling testimony from one of the producers and former Chicago Reader editor, Allison True (who is also quoted in our story), be sure to watch the 6-part documentary series, John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise on NBC’s The Peacock streaming service. The story, and the surrounding controversy, continues.