We depend on visual journalists to show us the world
Who decides what we see and how? How does what we see in media affect the way we understand the world?
I study photographers and the way various social constructs, such as traditions, organizational rules, laws, and physical limits affect the images we see.
I am particularly interested in the way the American judicial system is visually portrayed in mass media. This means I study things like mug shots, perp walks, cameras in the court, and police accountability video. I am particularly interested in the way visual culture intersects with social justice.
I have an account on Academia.Edu where you can download some of my articles and book chapters.
My most recent CV can be found here: 2025 July Bock CV
Recent Research
Should Visual Journalists Blur the Faces of Protesters?
Canella, G. & Bock, M.A. (2025): Blurred Faces and Anonymous Publics: Visual Journalism, Surveillance Technologies and an Ethic of Care. New Media and Society. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/10.1177/14614448251349830
PDF Here: http://maryangelabock.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Canella-Bock-2025-Face-Blurring-a.pdf
C-SPAN Cameras
In press with Political Communication; Link coming soon.
The Voice of Visual Evidence
Bock, M.A. (2025): The Voice of Visual Evidence: Performance Theory, the MacGyver Factor, and Photojournalistic Authority. Special issue, The State of Visual Evidence, with Visual Communication Quarterly 32:(1), 3-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/15551393.2025.2452929
PDF Here: http://maryangelabock.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Bock-2025-PHJ-as-Performance.pdf
Reach out to me at mary (dot) bock (at) austin.utexas.edu for individual research articles.