Michael Shaw is a Clinical Psychologist; writer;  analyst of visual journalism; interpreter of political images; and the curator of this project called BAGnewsNotes.

"The BAG" offers a daily semiotic analysis of news and political images from a political, cultural or psychological point of view, and is also a platform for original social photography and photojournalism.

Michael's clinical training -- which is woven into my commentary -- involves the psychology of character and the everyday presentation of self.  My research has dealt primarily with symbolic expression, the process of visual narrative, and the psychological function of metaphor.

In addition to his private practice, Michael spent nine years as the consulting psychotherapist at The Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), the highly-regarded architecture and design program and think-tank in Los Angeles.  For five years before that, he served the same function at Otis College of Art and Design.  Counting both experiences, he has  spent thousands of hours collaborating with students and design professionals in their creative process, as well as participating in the formal and informal analysis and critique of visual images.

Michael's experience with cyberspace began in the early eighties. Working for a publishing technology firm in New York, he was involved in developing some of the first on-line, interactive graphic content designed specifically for the public.  It was from these early services (know at the time as "videotex") that the html standard emerged, and new communication companies, such as AOL and Yahoo, first took shape.

The BAGnewsNotes blog began in June 2003.  Originally, it was the home for a civics tool/ visual experiment/political cartoon called BAGnews.  Beginning in mid-2004, however, spurred by perceived peculiarities in the photo coverage of the Bush-Kerry presidential campaign, Shaw turned his attention to this new "discipline" -- the visual analysis of political images.

Besides this site, Michael has been a regular contributor to the Huffington Post since September '05, writing a blog feature called "Reading The Pictures."

In September '07, he also became an on-line columnist for American Photo Magazine.

Michael is always interested in comments and feedback.  To reach him please write to: openbag AT bagnews (dot) com.