RECENT public-facing work and media commentary
2023
"Trump joins George Washington, John Quincy Adams, and Barack Obama," New York Times, Aug. 30, 2023.
"How Trump's Mug Shot is Changing Photography of Presidents," The 21st Show (Illinois Public Media), Sept. 2023.
"What the image of Marjorie Taylor Greene's phone call to Donald Trump reveals about contemporary American politics," Datum, Feb. 2023. (Originally published in German.)
2022
On-camera interview subject for Episode 1 of the PBS Online documentary, The Bigger Picture: "Did this photo make Lincoln President?", Sept. 2022.
Selection jury, Ocean Visuals, a project sponsored by Climate Visuals, designed to create an evidence-based, diverse, impactful digital library of ocean-related climate imagery, Sept.-Oct. 2022.
Radio interview about Photographic Presidents, The 21st (Illinois Public Media), Feb. 2022.
"How the Biden Presidency Became a Cultural Black Hole," Politico Magazine, Jan. 2022.
Co-host of Chatting the Pictures, beginning our fifth year of producing short videos that analyze key news photos of the week.
2021
Web video, "Reading the Pictures: Climate Crisis Video Delivers More Than Instagram Moment," Vogue Italia, Dec. 2021.
Web video, "Reading the Pictures: Beyond Cute," Vogue Italia, Oct. 2021.
Podcast interview about Photographic Presidents, Plodding Through the Presidents, Sept. 2021.
Podcast interview about Photographic Presidents, History Unplugged, May 2021.
Podcast interview about Photographic Presidents, This American President, May 2021.
"How Photography and the Presidency Grew Up Together," lecture for International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum, May 2021.
Panelist, "Scholarship and Creative Work," Rhetoric Society of America's RSA Remote series, March 2021.
"Biden and Harris Keep Posting the Same Photo; Here's Why," The Independent (UK), March 17, 2021.
"Photography Always Needed the Presidents," History News Network, Feb. 28, 2021.
"Photographic Presidents: How Photography and the Presidency Grew Up Together," Illinois Alumni Association, Feb. 2021.
Co-moderator, "RBG: Virtual Conversation with the Filmmakers," Women and Gender in Global Perspectives panel discussion with Julie Cohen and Betsy West, Feb. 2021.
"New History of Photography Focuses on Presidents," UI News Bureau feature by Craig Chamberlain, Feb. 2021.
"Capitol Artwork a Symbolic Participant in Trump White Supremacist Riot," essay for Reading The Pictures, Jan. 10, 2021.
Co-host of Chatting the Pictures, a webcast that analyzes news photos of the week. (Multiple episodes' video at link.)
2020
Co-host of Chatting the Pictures, a webcast that analyzes news photos of the week. (Multiple episodes' video at link.)
"News Photography Expanded: Reading the Pictures with Michael Shaw and Cara Finnegan," part of the 2020 Photo Vogue Festival (sponsored by Vogue Italia), Nov. 2020. (Video at link.)
Moderator, "Documenting History: Protests, Ethics, and the Photograph," International Center of Photography, New York City, July 9, 2020.
"The Candid Camera Presidents: Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt," University of Southern California Visual Studies Institute, March 10-12.
"Scholarly Writing as Creative Work," keynote address, Midwest Winter Workshop, University of Illinois, Feb. 8.
"Trump joins George Washington, John Quincy Adams, and Barack Obama," New York Times, Aug. 30, 2023.
"How Trump's Mug Shot is Changing Photography of Presidents," The 21st Show (Illinois Public Media), Sept. 2023.
"What the image of Marjorie Taylor Greene's phone call to Donald Trump reveals about contemporary American politics," Datum, Feb. 2023. (Originally published in German.)
2022
On-camera interview subject for Episode 1 of the PBS Online documentary, The Bigger Picture: "Did this photo make Lincoln President?", Sept. 2022.
Selection jury, Ocean Visuals, a project sponsored by Climate Visuals, designed to create an evidence-based, diverse, impactful digital library of ocean-related climate imagery, Sept.-Oct. 2022.
Radio interview about Photographic Presidents, The 21st (Illinois Public Media), Feb. 2022.
"How the Biden Presidency Became a Cultural Black Hole," Politico Magazine, Jan. 2022.
Co-host of Chatting the Pictures, beginning our fifth year of producing short videos that analyze key news photos of the week.
2021
Web video, "Reading the Pictures: Climate Crisis Video Delivers More Than Instagram Moment," Vogue Italia, Dec. 2021.
Web video, "Reading the Pictures: Beyond Cute," Vogue Italia, Oct. 2021.
Podcast interview about Photographic Presidents, Plodding Through the Presidents, Sept. 2021.
Podcast interview about Photographic Presidents, History Unplugged, May 2021.
Podcast interview about Photographic Presidents, This American President, May 2021.
"How Photography and the Presidency Grew Up Together," lecture for International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum, May 2021.
Panelist, "Scholarship and Creative Work," Rhetoric Society of America's RSA Remote series, March 2021.
"Biden and Harris Keep Posting the Same Photo; Here's Why," The Independent (UK), March 17, 2021.
"Photography Always Needed the Presidents," History News Network, Feb. 28, 2021.
"Photographic Presidents: How Photography and the Presidency Grew Up Together," Illinois Alumni Association, Feb. 2021.
Co-moderator, "RBG: Virtual Conversation with the Filmmakers," Women and Gender in Global Perspectives panel discussion with Julie Cohen and Betsy West, Feb. 2021.
"New History of Photography Focuses on Presidents," UI News Bureau feature by Craig Chamberlain, Feb. 2021.
"Capitol Artwork a Symbolic Participant in Trump White Supremacist Riot," essay for Reading The Pictures, Jan. 10, 2021.
Co-host of Chatting the Pictures, a webcast that analyzes news photos of the week. (Multiple episodes' video at link.)
2020
Co-host of Chatting the Pictures, a webcast that analyzes news photos of the week. (Multiple episodes' video at link.)
"News Photography Expanded: Reading the Pictures with Michael Shaw and Cara Finnegan," part of the 2020 Photo Vogue Festival (sponsored by Vogue Italia), Nov. 2020. (Video at link.)
Moderator, "Documenting History: Protests, Ethics, and the Photograph," International Center of Photography, New York City, July 9, 2020.
"The Candid Camera Presidents: Herbert Hoover and Franklin Roosevelt," University of Southern California Visual Studies Institute, March 10-12.
"Scholarly Writing as Creative Work," keynote address, Midwest Winter Workshop, University of Illinois, Feb. 8.