KATRINA / Why do blacks "loot" and whites "find" groceries?

Captions from two photos out of New Orleans have prompted discussions about race and the media. Christine Pazzanese asks: "Should editors, in a rush to publish poignant or startling images, relax their standards or allow personal or regional biases creep into captions and stories?" [Romenesko Letters]

Two residents wade through chest-deep water after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store after Hurricane Katrina came through the area in New Orleans, Louisiana.(AFP/Getty Images/Chris Graythen)



A young man walks through chest deep flood water after looting a grocery store in New Orleans on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005. Flood waters continue to rise in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina did extensive damage when it. (AP photo)