2026 SDN Visual Storytelling Festival Speaker Series

Flashpoints
Photography and Political Violence in the U.S.

Tuesday, March 10, 1:30 pm ET via Zoom

Panel discussion with:
Jabin Botsford: Washington, DC-based photojournalist
David Dee Delgado: Covering ICE/federal courts in NYC
Madison Swart: Freelance photojournalist struck by crowd-control munitions during the 2025 “No Kings” protests in LA

Moderated by:
Lauren Walsh: Professor, NYU

No cost for program but registration is required.

Photo by Madison Swart. Federal officers detain a man after his immigration hearing at 26 Federal Plaza in Manhattan, NY on July 16, 2025.

In recent years, the United States has witnessed escalating incidents of political violence—from mass protests and armed demonstrations to targeted attacks on communities, institutions and political leadership. Photographers documenting these moments are not only recording history as it unfolds but are also shaping the public’s understanding of political unrest, polarization, and democracy itself. 
 
This panel brings together leading photojournalists to explore how images of political violence are made, circulated, and interpreted. Discussion will address the ethical challenges of photographing violent events, the risks faced by those behind the camera, and the impact these images have on public opinion, accountability, and collective memory. 
 

Jabin Botsford
Washington, DC-based photojournalist

Jabin Botsford is a Washington, D.C.-based photojournalist and and former staff photographer at The Washington Post. His body of work and expertise encompasses elections, politics, breaking news, disasters, sports, and in-depth feature stories, both nationally and internationally. Since 2014, he has extensively documented U.S. presidential campaigns and administrations, especially that of Donald Trump. He photographed the 2024 assassination attempt on Trump at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, capturing the moment gunfire erupted and its immediate aftermath.
 

David Dee Delgado
Covering ICE and Federal Courts, New York City

David Dee Delgado is an Afro-Latino New York City-based photographer specializing in documentary and photojournalism. He earned the distinction of being a 2023 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in Breaking News Reporting. He has also been honored with the Nikon Bill Eppridge Award, the Bronx Recognizes Its Own (BRIO) award, and the Yunghi Grant. His work has been featured with outlets including The New York Times, Reuters, and Getty Images. He has extensively covered immigration and ICE-related stories under the second Trump administration. One such image, from a federal courthouse in Manhattan, was distinguished as one of Time’s 100 Best Photos of 2025. 

Madison Swart
Freelance Photojournalist

Madison Swart is a New York–based independent photojournalist covering immigration, breaking news, and major demonstrations across the United States. Her work has been published by CNN, The New York Times, Le Monde, Mother Jones, Reuters, Politico, and others. Her reporting emphasizes accuracy and access, with a focus on portraying humanity and empathy within complex stories. Swart’s recent work includes pro-Palestinian protests, the “No Kings” L.A. rally, and ongoing documentation of federal immigration officers, including 2026 work in Minneapolis following the death of Renée Good, who was shot by an ICE agent.

Lauren Walsh, Moderator
Professor, New York University

Dr. Lauren Walsh is a Professor at New York University and the Founding Director of the Gallatin Photojournalism Intensive. She is also the Managing Director of Journalist Safety Initiatives with the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, where she is heading a new online resource that addresses current and emerging threats confronting US-based journalists. Walsh is the author of Conversations on Conflict Photography (2019) and Through the Lens: The Pandemic and Black Lives Matter (2022), among other titles; and is a leading expert on the visual coverage of conflict and crisis, as well as peace journalism. Walsh is a Fulbright Specialist, and a Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Residency Fellow. She leads workshops and lectures globally, with an emphasis on ethics and photography, as well as safety and mental health concerns for journalists.  In Ukraine, she conducted nationwide surveys and workshops around mental health and media workers, and she is currently co-leading the first multi-national mental health initiative for Arab World photojournalists.
 

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