Arizona Daily Star: Want a closer look at Mars? Ask the folks with The People’s Camera.
Want to see more of this scene on Mars? One is quite sure a digital imaging sleuth working for NASA cranked up those blue tones far beyond the bounds of reality, but still, pretty nice. In today’s Arizona Star reporter Otto Ross tells readers that at the University of Arizona the operators of the HiRise camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter want to get the advice of planetary photography fans among the public as they draw up their list of targets for closer scrutiny.
Nice story with a legitimate topic. It has however an underlying twist in its assignment that is not fully explained. Writer Ross, an end-note tells us, is a “NASA space grant intern.” What is that? A possible clue may be here, but I see nothing about media internships. Newspapers these days need a lot of help maintaining staff size as ad revenues stay in the tank. Desperation fuels inspiration. The business is changing fast. I have no reason to conclude that Mr. Ross did anything but an honest job here – but do wonder about a NASA program that, from the looks of this instance, puts people on media staffs where they are reporting about other programs by NASA and its contractors. Just questions. The answers may be interesting.
Grist for the Mill: U of Ariz Press Release ;
- Charlie Petit
