OIWARx10 Ep. 2 | Athenian Tragedy, First Responders & the Religion of Photography

Welcome to Episode 2 of OIWARx10, my ongoing series documenting the creation of the 10th Anniversary Edition (2026) of my book, Once I Was a Reporter (originally published in 2016). Each episode revisits a different aspect of my years as an independent journalist, photographer, and media advocate, exploring not only what happened, but how my philosophy of journalism and photography evolved over time. In this episode I discuss how photographing police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and breaking news gradually became something much larger than simply documenting events. Photography became a philosophy—a way of understanding identity, symbolism, mythology, and the archetypes that shape public life. Subjects become symbols of enduring human archetypes. I also discuss how everyone should own their own publishing platforms, and why I believe every citizen journalist should be recognized as a legitimate media organization rather than being dependent upon traditional news outlets. For viewers interested in the earlier body of work referenced throughout this episode, you can watch my 2013 short documentary, "Mathew Ursua: Citizen Journalist," here:    • Mathew Ursua: Citizen Journalist  . In this video I reference the narration describing my years documenting Honolulu's police officers, firefighters, and paramedics. At approximately 1:24, the voiceover states that I captured images of "police officers subduing the unruly and protecting the people from unrest." That narration is the specific passage I refer to in this discussion when talking about photographing first responders, the symbolism I attached to those scenes, and how those experiences ultimately shaped the philosophy behind Once I Was a Reporter and the OIWARx10 series. I also reflect on my personal experiences after psychiatric treatment and how I believe those experiences influenced my perspective on journalism, photography, and public advocacy. These are my personal interpretations of my own experiences. This episode explores: The philosophy behind photographing first responders and emergency scenes Independent journalism versus traditional media Why every photographer should own a website Photography, light, exposure, and symbolic storytelling Greek tragedy as a framework for understanding society Street photography and documenting everyday human relationships Crime reporting, mythology, and public archetypes Why photographs can transform everyone in the frame into enduring symbols Rather than viewing photographs as isolated moments, I argue that they become historical artifacts whose meaning continues to evolve long after the shutter is pressed. Timecodes & Name Drops 00:00 Reflections on life after psychiatric medication 00:24 A decade photographing first responders 00:48 Continuing the fight for independent journalism 01:06 Photography, light, and developing a personal philosophy 01:20 Why I photographed police, firefighters, and emergency scenes 01:57 Independent media versus traditional news organizations 02:20 Why every photographer should own a publishing platform 02:36 Greek tragedy and symbolic photography 02:45 First responders, fitness, and public culture 03:02 Honolulu Police Department and Honolulu Transit Center observations 03:25 Street photography and public displays of affection 03:44 Crime, punishment, and Greek tragedy 04:18 Photography as preserving moments across time 04:41 Archetypes and "ripping off the Greek tragedy masks" Named References 00:32 Barack Obama 01:48 Isaac Sharsh (Hungry Hungry Hawaiian) 03:02 Honolulu Police Department (HPD) 03:02 One Archer Lane, Honolulu 04:18 Donald Trump 04:25 MGM Resorts 04:25 Caesars Entertainment