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Newspapers without Photographers...?
Jordan Curet, Photographer
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Aspen | CO | United States | Posted: 7:47 PM on 02.26.09 |
->> I was recently laid off from the Aspen Times. I was the last remaining staff photojournalist. Now it is reporters with point-and-shoot cameras. Is this happening elsewhere? Are the photos any good? Are reporters respecting the ethics of shooting? Just curious what other people out there know...
p.s. I guess after today's news about the Rocky, I should just be glad the paper is still at least publishing something, no matter how un-journalistic? |
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Chris Mackler, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Arlington | VA | United States | Posted: 8:04 PM on 02.26.09 |
| ->> Yes, it's happening everywhere. I have yet to see a truly compelling photograph shot by a reporter. Can anyone prove me wrong? |
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Zach Ornitz, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Aspen | CO | USA | Posted: 8:10 PM on 02.26.09 |
| ->> Sorry, Jordan. You have my deepest sympathy. It really is scary considering it could be a business model that grows as papers fight to cut costs. I could venture to say that I'm not surprised by the move, as there were indications that management at the Times was moving in this direction. Namely when they published "Capture My Colorado" and asked aspiring photographers to donate their work and rights to their images in exchange for a photo credit... You and Paul should have never allowed that to occur. I think that experiment proved to management (Jenna) that they could get by with the contributed work of amateur photographers that don't know how to value their work or their trade. |
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Jim Comeau, Assistant, Photo Editor
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Los Angeles | CA | USA | Posted: 8:12 PM on 02.26.09 |
->> Why not give disposable Bic pens to photographers and have them write as well as shoot?
When I took photojournalism classes, we were taught AP style, inverted pyramid, attribution, lead sentences, headlines, et alia.
Just my 40% of a nickel... |
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Aaron Rhoads, Photographer
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McComb | MS | USA | Posted: 9:02 PM on 02.26.09 |
| ->> I'm worried about that happening here. |
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Bastian Ehl, Photographer
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Magdeburg | _ | Germany | Posted: 9:23 PM on 02.26.09 |
->> Over here in Germany it is reality for a couple of years now. The local newspaper here (200.000 circulation) doesn't have a single staff photographer. They don't even have a photo editor anymore.
They take everything for free. For example they have a weekly education page. I freelance for the press office of the local university. We deliver the complete content for this page. It's like having full page ads. German journalism reality. Be prepared. It will be the same in the US soon. |
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Walter Calahan, Photographer
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Westminster | MD | USA | Posted: 10:16 PM on 02.26.09 |
->> Then they can get rid of the writers, too, and simply publish press release submitted by any organization, individual, or company.
Journalism brought to you via Master of Business Administration graduates. |
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Sarah Coward, Photographer
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Pt.Charlotte | FL | USA | Posted: 10:30 PM on 02.26.09 |
->> I was laid off in November, as were the other staff photographers, from a Southwest Florida daily newspaper.
Let's see…buying up point-and-shoots for all the reporters so management could "free up my time for more important things", having to teach reporters how to load, work and save images on a computer, management saying in a meeting (apparently they forgot I was in the room) that "the time for staff photographers is dwindling".
Wow. Didn't see it coming.
There is no more photo department. A 50,000 circulation daily with no photo department. The remaining reporters shoot less-than-stellar 1A, local and sports front art and hate doing it, and reader-provided images, mostly dogs and babies, fill out the inside. They laid off the business department, too. Now they're mulling over the concept of laying off all the sports reporters and having high school students write sports stories for school credit.
It's a newsroom gone mad.
It's so sad...the readers deserve so much more than they're getting, and to add insult to injury, the NYT-owned competition (we were really no competition for them) closed their offices and stopped delivery, so...my former newspaper, the paper that has turned itself into the local shopper, is now the only game in town.
These are bleak times.
BUT...
I have a man who loves me, kids who are proud of me, a warm house and three squares a day, so I really have nothing to complain about.
So I'll stop.
I have a gallery on my website titled 'comparisons', it's a mine-and-theirs-type gallery comparing reporter and phorographer images taken at similar events. Check it out.
Sarah C.
Punta Gorda, FL
http://www.sarahcoward.net |
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Walter Calahan, Photographer
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Westminster | MD | USA | Posted: 10:53 PM on 02.26.09 |
->> Sarah
Beautiful web site and a perfect comparison.
The editors of the newspaper are from the 'word' side of the industry. They are as ignorant of quality photographs as the reporters who take them.
You are the lucky lady with all that gives you no reason to complain. |
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Jack Howard, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Central | NJ | USA | Posted: 11:12 AM on 02.27.09 |
->> Walter, were you looking at a copy of the Somerset Messenger-Gazette/Reporter recently? It's pretty much exactly what you describe.
Handout photos, press releases and ads. |
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Tom Knier, Photographer
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Lancaster | PA | USA | Posted: 11:22 AM on 02.27.09 |
->> Went to the Newseum in DC again last week...
And checked out newspapers from around the country that they have lined up outside the entrance. It's pretty easy to see the papers who've resorted to allowing reporters to shoot. The images are the most visually un-stimulating photos you've ever seen, and the papers look ridiculous as a result. |
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Delane B. Rouse, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | US | Posted: 11:34 AM on 02.27.09 |
->> Sarah...the gallery you put together is awesome and real shows the difference beteween "making" and image and taking a picture.
Visually informative. Thanks for your effort. |
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Delane B. Rouse, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | US | Posted: 11:35 AM on 02.27.09 |
->> Oops (typos galore)
Sarah...the gallery you put together is awesome and really shows the difference between "making" an image and taking a picture.
Visually informative. Thanks for your effort. |
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Karl Stolleis, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Philadelphia | PA | | Posted: 11:55 AM on 02.27.09 |
->> I think if you look at the historic reason for photographers maybe this trend isnt a stretch.
Years ago, exposing film, focusing, processing film and printing images took a fair amount of technical skill AND time. Time and skill that most reporters did not have so people were hired to handle this dirty task.
Now, with the technology of digital cameras and camcorders the time and technical skill factor has been reduced to almost zero. This does nothing for the content of the images, as has been pointed out. Given the current economic climate, if you were a managing editor, do you fire your photogs and given your city hall reporter a camera or fire your reporters and hope your photogs can write? (and really, try to look at this objectively, not just thru our photographic eyes)
The sad part is that photographers were able to take their craft and elevate it to a true story telling medium. Some might even call it art. In a world of economic troubles, art is usually one of the first things to lose its value.
I have a feeling this will not only continue but accelerate over the next two years as papers gasp their last breaths.
Question we have to ask ourselves as photographers is this
Is what we do relevant and what have we done to reinvent ourselves and our craft? |
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Robin Loznak, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Roseburg | OR | USA | Posted: 12:59 PM on 02.27.09 |
| ->> In the last year we're down from three staff photographers to one. Be afraid, very afraid. Good thing I have a big garden, backyard chickens (soon), and a hunting rifle. Is it it 1932 or 2009? |
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Clark Brooks, Photo Editor, Photographer
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Urbana | IL | USA | Posted: 1:33 PM on 02.27.09 |
| ->> It seems the solution for staff photographers is quite simple ... start writing. If I worked at a paper in this climate, a year ago I would have started pitching to editors and management to let me cover assignments to shoot and write. It is probably not too late some to start lobbying now to take themselves off an upcoming layoff list. |
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Mark Peters, Photographer
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Highland | IL | USA | Posted: 3:10 PM on 02.27.09 |
->> Sarah,
Your tale reminds me of a favorite Dilbert cartoon in which the pointy hair boss is complaining about the lack of money coming in the door and that they were going to have to make budget cuts.
When Dilbert asks why someone is busting chops in the billing dept. the boss replies "Oh, we laid them all off last month......"
As to the original question, the local paper, recently converted to a weekly, uses shots from it's writers and submissions almost exclusively. They had two kids from the local high school make the State Wrestling championships which I was already planning to shoot with Clark. When I asked if they were interested in licensing some images they declined, saying if the kids advanced they would just beg pics from their parents, that way they wouldn't have to spend any money.
The sports writer uses an old P&S and usually runs photos taken during warmups and frequently from games earlier in the season. Horrible is a compliment. |
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Chris Mackler, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Arlington | VA | United States | Posted: 3:30 PM on 02.27.09 |
->> For anyone that follows the "What the Duck" comic strip, this one is a classic:
http://tinyurl.com/d36qeq |
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Aaron Rhoads, Photographer
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McComb | MS | USA | Posted: 5:00 PM on 02.27.09 |
->> When I think of this stuff....it reminds me of a SNL sketch, the midieval doctor, played by Steve Martin, I believe.
His cure for everything was bleeding the patient.
I remember one patient came in bleeding to death. Martin's remedy, bleed him.
I just wonder has all this cutting stopped the bleeding or has it hasten the patient(papers) bleeding. |
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Mark Buffalo, Photographer
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Lonoke | AR | USA | Posted: 5:18 PM on 02.27.09 |
->> Now, I've read the posts on here and I must say, working at three weekly papers, I do both and I work my butt off at both writing and shooting. I take pride in both and feel like I can do either and be proud of what I've published. For that matter, I'm the page designer and I even used to deliver the paper to the stores in our smallest circulation.
My dream was to be a staff photographer but at the University of Arkansas when I was a student there, they had only two photojournalism classes and I took both, doing well in both but I was a print major. I don't want to sound like I'm moaning but I feel like I'm both a writer and photographer and I do both equally well. I've never worked at a paper with a staff photographer. Besides, I'd rather take my own photos with my DSLR or before that my film SLR.
My 2 cents worth! |
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Rob Edwards, Photographer
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Peru | IN | United States | Posted: 5:31 PM on 02.27.09 |
->> I was RIFed back in August from a small paper. The paper that I worked for gave point and shoots to reporters as well. I wished I had thought about asking if I could grab a reporter notebook and started writing. A position had opened up two weeks before I was RIFed. Below is a link to some photos that the reporters shoot now. I know it is the nature of the economy now, I ask this question. Why do the photographers get the short end of the stick? Another question as well, why do the managers, publisher and other that do nothing for the daily product seem to keep their jobs and those who produce something for the paper on a daily basis get the shaft?
Here is the link: http://perutribune.mycapture.com/mycapture/folder.asp?event=698972&Category... |
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Paul W Gillespie, Photographer
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Annapolis | MD | USA | Posted: 5:48 PM on 02.27.09 |
| ->> Rob, I don't who buy those photos on that website, let alone publish them in a newspaper. That is some bad stuff. And to put what looks like the entire take is awful. People that run this biz just don't appreciate what we do. Sad times. |
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Ryan Chalk, Photographer
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Vacaville | CA | US | Posted: 6:09 PM on 02.27.09 |
->> I think we all know the struggles facing the newspaper industry and it's a complex situation. The sad fact is, some newspapers don't value quality photography as much as others. I was laid off from my photo job at a respectable daily newspaper almost a year ago. I was told that photographers are not content providers as far as corporate is concerned, and a photog had to be let go. I could have sat there and protested that statement and said some bad stuff and stormed out. But instead, during that stomach churning meeting, a writing position was offered. I was a bit apprehensive about it, but rather than become unemployed I said yes. Fast forward to today, I still shoot pictures for my assignments and fill in for the photo dept. when they can't shoot an assignment, and there is no question I am a better journalist in general. Even though I don't shoot as much and find myself covering boring meetings sometimes, I still have photos to enter in monthly clip contests and retain the competitive drive that comes with being a photojournalist.
IMHO, You can be the best multimedia producer or master shooting stills and video and blog at the same time, but unless you work somewhere that values that I recommend picking up a style book and learn to write. Do this and maybe you'll turn the tables on the writers who many of us complain are filling the papers with bad photos and challenge them for their own jobs. Photographers can make great writers. Again, this is just my opinion and may only apply to a fraction of the photogs out there, but at least I've given my two cents and now I get back to focusing on work. |
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Rob Edwards, Photographer
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Peru | IN | United States | Posted: 6:23 PM on 02.27.09 |
| ->> Paul, I totally agree with you. I know that those who are still at the paper and those who make the decision think that they did the right thing. The only thing they care about is the fact that they still have art in the paper. It does not matter what kind of art they have--at least they have it. |
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Shawn Lynch, Photographer, Assistant
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New York / Boston | NY/MA | USA | Posted: 9:08 PM on 02.27.09 |
->> The better way to phrase the subject on this thread might be "Photographers without newspapers...?" As in what are you going to do as a photographer when there are little to no newspapers left to work for?
My suggestion would be to find something to specialize in. But also try to be diversified and really good at covering everything else.
Also, any chance the photographers could raise a discrimination claim, the photogs are loosing their jobs while the writers are safe.
(Note: last though was meant as sarcasm) |
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Aaron Rhoads, Photographer
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McComb | MS | USA | Posted: 2:50 AM on 02.28.09 |
->> Isn't there a thread bout a pj in Hawaii that started his own webpaper after he was let go, or his paper folded?
I wonder how he's doing? Is he beating the pants off his former employer?
Maybe those who are or have lost their jobs can still find away to be a journalist, serve their community and still make a living.
Wonder if you can do it on food stamps and welfare? |
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Baron Sekiya, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Keaau | HI | USA | Posted: 3:29 AM on 02.28.09 |
->> Well hey, why not have citizen ad execs put together the newspaper ads too? Just bid on a space Ebay-style, pay via credit card, upload and it gets published.
I'm the guy who was laid-off by his paper and started my own news website. We're still going, changed to a non-profit model, incorporated with the state, submitting incorporation with the IRS.
We're just starting, going to kick it up a notch or two in the reporting and other coverage soon. |
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