Midlothian Parents Outraged Over Daughter’s Photo Used In News Story
A local pre-teen Midlothian girl has popped up on an ad for a controversial group and her parents aren’t happy.
Christina Hendricks learned that her 11-year-old daughter’s photo published is in a story by Fox News’ Jesse Watters for a children’s summer camp sponsored Antifa, a group known for clashing with police.
“But – we love the police. Her father is an officer,” said Christina.
Christina had no idea her daughter’s photo was in a live Fox News story by Jesse Watters about an Antifa Summer Camp for children until her parents texted her.
“My parents were watching the evening news at their home in Oklahoma and saw my daughter’s picture pop up with a ‘welcome to Camp Antifa’ headline and were aghast that the story mentioned how to become an anarchist. They couldn’t believe it. They had to scroll back to re-watch it.” Her parents paused the news story and took a picture of the screen to text to Christina. “I was shocked!”
She shared her thoughts on Facebook tagging the commentator, “Jesse Watters find another model photo, please! She’s cute… but she loves cops! Her dad, Johny Hendricks, IS ONE!”
Her Family Has No Association With Antifa and Anarchy
Antifa is a political protest movement with a militant opposition to fascism or other right-wing ideology. Short for anti-fascist, “Antifa” group members lean left politically but do not consider themselves Democrats. Antifa doesn’t have an official leader or headquarters, but some groups meet regularly.
Most who identify as Antifa members are known for what they oppose: Fascism, nationalism, far-right ideologies, white supremacy, authoritarianism, racism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Often Antifa activists denounce capitalism and the government overall.
Christina says her family is not involved with Antifa in any way. She was shocked to see her daughter’s picture in the Fox News story on July 19 about summer camps labeled by Watters as “Antifa Summer Camp”.
Stock Photo Was Doctored
“The photo they used is one where my daughter Adli is holding a can – but it’s been doctored to look like a grenade,” Christina says. “That’s nuts. I mean, Adli was just six when she was photographed with a group of children for stock photos to be used in ads and stories. We signed a contract that it could be published, but not for pornography.”
Christina has seen her daughter’s photo in several local ads.
“USA Today used it for an Orange Juice ad online and a couple of shots were used for a Lions Club ad,” Christina said, “And I’ve seen her photo in some school brochures.”
Fox News
Fox News is a conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. Created by Australian-American media mogul Rupert Murdock, former Republican media consultant Roger Ailes was its founding Chief Executive Officer.
Jesse Watters is a conservative political commentator who got his start appearing on The O’Reilly Factor, where he did man-on-the-street interviews. His “Watters’ World” segment became a stand-alone show in 2015 and weekly in 2017, when he also became a co-host of “The Five,” a roundtable series. Last year he published his first book, “How I Saved the World.” This year his show has been renamed, “Jesse Watters Primetime.”
From The Camp’s Website
Watters, being a conservative, often speaks about Antifa and the group’s goals in a detrimental way. Some Antifa adherents keep a low profile, to stay out of the news, while other local groups have a more public profile and even a website. One of the best organized is Rose City Antifa in Portland, Oregon. The group’s focus is “any work that prevents fascist organizing, and when that is not possible, provides consequences to fascist organizers. This is supported by researching and tracking fascist organizations.”
The “Antifa Summer Camp”, as Watters refers to them, is in Portland. Formally known as Budding Roses they label their camp as a “social justice summer camp”. Their website states, “We strive to provide a free, safe and empowering space for East Portland youth to learn, express themselves, and engage critically with the social justice issues that impact them.
We seek to help youth cultivate the necessary tools to be active community members through experiences of collective decision-making and provide opportunities to lead and facilitate through direct involvement in democratic education.”
“We believe that empowering youth to become critically engaged with social justice issues lays the groundwork for transformational social change tomorrow and today. We see returning campers taking on leadership roles at camp, getting involved in their communities, holding banners at marches, and initiating discussion about social issues with their parents.”
So, How Does This Happen?
How did Christina’s daughter become a part of Watters’ Antifa Summer Camp story?
Her picture has a faint “iStock” highlight on it, which typically means the photo is paid for by the user. iStock is an online international stock photography provider based out of Canada. Millions of photos and illustrations are contributed to their website along with video and audio files, all of which can be purchased and downloaded for a fee. Begun in 2000, the company has thousands of photos sent each month to add to their stock for sale.
The iStock website boasts, “Your project deserves the perfect stock photo. Your budget deserves straightforward royalty-free pricing that lets you use an image just about anywhere, as often as you want.”
Christina says her daughter earned a small fee for her time in a photo shoot in 2017. “Stephen Davenport was the photographer, and we signed a release. We said the photos could be bought for ads, but not for pornography or defamation.”
It’s been five years since the photo shoot, and all the ads up until this news story have been positive. “I got a copy of the release we signed and emailed the company that has the rights, but I haven’t heard back from anybody,” Christina said, fighting to keep her daughter’s wholesome persona just that – wholesome.
“The can she is holding in the original photo has nothing on it – but the picture on TV has been doctored and shows it to be a grenade,” Christina explains. “I mean, a blank can for a grocery store ad has been turned into a weapon – that’s not what the intent of that picture was. How will this affect Adli later in life? She’s a cute girl. She doesn’t even know what Antifa is. Her father is a police officer. Will this affect him in the future if he wants to be promoted?”
No Response From The Network
She thinks a generic computerized picture of a little girl would have been a better choice.
“As a parent, You think people will do what is morally right – but then people surprise you.” Christina said. She’s texted, called and emailed the Watters’ show, “and tagged him on every social media platform, asking him to not use my daughter’s photo.” She’s had no response.
She says as shocked as she is, she still has faith in humanity. The mother of four, she’s a certified Behavior Tech and works with people with Autism. So, she has a lot of patience. Her free time is spent taking her kids to compete in their soccer games, (“four kids on four different teams!”) and to enjoy the indoor water park in Mansfield.
She hopes her daughter’s photo on national news will fade away.
