Real talk about daily journalism
News photographers are news junkies. We love to be where the action is and we strive to document the moments that hold all the tension, elation, trauma or truth that the situation presents so those who see our images can feel themselves situated in someone else’s shoes. A good news photo ignites a range of emotions from anger to empathy. It also reminds us of our shared humanity. Documenting those moments means we often impose on people’s best and worst moments. Many students ask me if that isn’t disrespectful, and whether we should be seeing those moments. It is a great question and an important discussion, so I encourage real talk on our role and the role of photojournalism in grounding us in truth. The answer is, of course, if we aren’t there to document conflict, human rights abuses, dire conditions in refugee camps, gun violence, domestic violence, substance abuse, and so many other social ills, then the bad guys will get away with it. We need powerful images to ignite our better natures, to rally us to get involved, to care, to work for change, build tolerance and understanding.
