Abstract
This study explores the impact of organizational changes on newspaper photo departments, an area of newsrooms that have arguably been particularly affected by structural changes in the field of journalism Through qualitative interviews with editors responsible for photojournalism at five Swedish newspapers that have experienced recent changes to photo staffing and routines for the sourcing of images, the study explores the following questions: Which routines do the newspapers have for sourcing images, in terms of in-house staff and external sources? How do notions of visual quality and external factors, such as audiences and competition, contribute to shaping the newspapers’ visual strategies? Findings indicate that newspapers rely on staff photojournalists for unique and in-depth coverage, but less for routine and breaking news. A certain expansion of photojournalism was found in some newsrooms where it is seen as a competitive edge; which, in part, challenges a “discourse of doom.” Uncertainty about the support for visual strategies in newsrooms lacking visual leadership was also found.
Highlights
The short documentary “The last photographer,” (Johnsson & Nesser, 2018), chronicling the final year of a staff photographer at Upsala Nya Tidning, was received by some commentators and members of the Swedish photo community as yet another sign of photojournalism’s demise
With the retirement of this photographer, the regional newspaper would no longer have a photo department, a development mirroring an international trend in recent years
Photojournalists play a role in all five newsrooms, though their job descriptions differ, according to routines, resources, strategy, and other factors, such as competition and audiences
Summary
The short documentary “The last photographer,” (Johnsson & Nesser, 2018), chronicling the final year of a staff photographer at Upsala Nya Tidning, was received by some commentators and members of the Swedish photo community as yet another sign of photojournalism’s demise (ibid). In 2013, The Chicago Sun-Times eliminated its entire photo staff, including a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer (Memmott, 2013). The Chicago newspaper’s stated reasons included a shift to video, freelance contracting, and contributions from the public. Research has shown that compelling images draw readers to news platforms, potentially offering a way to increase revenue (Khan & Mazhar, 2017; NPPA, 2015). Predictions of increased contributions from members of the public have not been conclusively borne out by research. While eyewitness footage contributes to global crisis coverage, research has shown that the public does not appear to contribute widely to routine news coverage While eyewitness footage contributes to global crisis coverage, research has shown that the public does not appear to contribute widely to routine news coverage (e.g. Nilsson & Wadbring, 2015; Pantti & Bakker, 2009)
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