Photojournalism
The first photograph to illustrate a newspaper story appeared on the 25th of June 1848. It depicted barricades in Paris during the June Days uprising and was published as an engraving in L'Illustration of 1, the 8th of July 1848. This image marked the beginning of using photographs to tell news stories, though early illustrations had previously relied on engravings like those used for Lord Horatio Nelson's funeral in The Times (1806). During the Crimean War, Roger Fenton became the first official war photographer. His work documented the effects of the war on troops, panoramas of battle landscapes, model representations of action, and portraits of commanders. Other photographers of the war included William Simpson and Carol Szathmari. The technology at that time could not print actual photographs in newspapers, so images were engraved before publication. Mathew Brady's American Civil War photographs followed this same pattern, appearing in Harper's Weekly only after being engraved. Disaster scenes such as train wrecks and city fires also became popular subjects for illustrated newspapers in these early days.
The Golden Age of Photojournalism spanned roughly from the 1930s through the 1950s. This era began with the development of the compact commercial 35mm Leica camera in 1925 and flash bulbs between 1927 and 1930. These tools gave journalists true flexibility in taking pictures. The Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung pioneered modern photojournalism by printing photographs inside magazines starting in 1901. It introduced the photo-essay format and maintained a specialized staff and production unit for pictures. Famous photographers of the era included Robert Capa, Romano Cagnoni, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Margaret Bourke-White, and W. Eugene Smith. Henri Cartier-Bresson is held by some to be the father of modern photojournalism. His candid pictures of political figures were novel in the 1930s. Agustí Centelles played an important role in propaganda efforts during the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s. American journalist Julien Bryan photographed and filmed the beginning of World War II under heavy German bombardment in September 1939 in Poland. Soldier Tony Vaccaro captured horrific moments in war using his modest Argus C3 camera. He developed his own images in soldier's helmets and used chemicals found in the ruins of a camera store in 1944.
The Golden Age of Photojournalism ended in the 1970s when many photo-magazines ceased publication. Life magazine stopped weekly publication in December 1972 because it could not compete with other media for advertising revenue. Still, those magazines taught journalism much about the photographic essay and the power of still images. Since the late 1970s, photojournalism has increasingly been accorded a place in art galleries alongside fine art photography. Luc Delahaye, Manuel Rivera-Ortiz, and members of VII Photo Agency regularly exhibit in galleries and museums. Professional organizations like the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) were founded to support photographers. The NPPA was established in 1946 in the U.S. and now has about 10,000 members. News organizations began adopting offset presses in the 1980s that reproduced photos with fidelity on better paper. Before this, most large newspapers used turn-of-the-century letterpress technology that produced smudged oil-based ink and coarse engraving screens. By 2016, the New York Times employed 52 photo editors but relied on freelancers to provide 50 percent or more of its visuals. Staff photojournalism jobs continued to dwindle in the 2010s as news outlets shifted toward freelance work.
Most photojournalists consider stage-managed shots presented as candid to be unethical. Mike Meadows, a veteran photographer for the Los Angeles Times, faced suspension without pay after his picture of firefighter Mike Alves cooling himself off with water in Altadena was revealed to have been staged. His assignment editor Fred Sweets contacted the firefighter who reportedly said he had been asked by Meadows to go to the pool and splash water on his head. Meadows denied directly asking him to do that but admitted saying it would make a nice shot. The newspaper called it a fabrication and withdrew the picture from prize competitions. Edward Keating, a Pulitzer Prize winner from The New York Times, photographed a young boy pointing a toy gun outside a Middle Eastern grocery store. Other photographers claimed Keating pointed with his own arm to show the boy which way to look and aim the gun. After the Columbia Journalism Review reported the incident, Keating was forced to leave the paper. Photo manipulation remains a major issue where some pictures are manipulated to the extent where people are edited in or out of the picture. False or misleading captioning also creates ethical problems, such as during the 2006 Lebanon War photographs controversies.
Social media has become the major platform on which people receive news and share events. Phone photography is gaining popularity as the primary tool for online visual communication. When the London Bombings happened in July 2005, both the New York Times and the Washington Post ran photos on their front pages made by citizen journalists with camera phones. These images were less the outcome of documentary intent than a response to traumatic shock. In another instance, when Hurricane Sandy hit the northeastern United States in 2012, Time sent out five photographers with iPhones to document the devastation. One shot taken by Benjamin Lowy showed raging ocean waves collapsing on Coney Island in Brooklyn and made the cover of Times November 12 issue. Then in 2013, the Chicago Sun-Times laid off its entire staff of 28 photographers including John H. White, a Pulitzer Prize winner. The newspaper cited viewers shifting towards more video as a reason and employed freelance photographers who trained to use an iPhone for photography. Some viewers pointed out an at-times reduction in quality compared to previous full-time professionals. The empowered news audience with the advent of the Internet sparked creation of blogs, podcasts, and online news independent of traditional outlets.
Common questions
When did the first photograph to illustrate a newspaper story appear?
The first photograph to illustrate a newspaper story appeared on the 25th of June 1848. It depicted barricades in Paris during the June Days uprising and was published as an engraving in L'Illustration of 1, the 8th of July 1848.
Who became the first official war photographer for Photojournalism?
Roger Fenton became the first official war photographer during the Crimean War. His work documented the effects of the war on troops, panoramas of battle landscapes, model representations of action, and portraits of commanders.
What years define the Golden Age of Photojournalism?
The Golden Age of Photojournalism spanned roughly from the 1930s through the 1970s. This era began with the development of the compact commercial 35mm Leica camera in 1925 and flash bulbs between 1927 and 1930.
Why did Life magazine stop weekly publication in December 1972?
Life magazine stopped weekly publication in December 1972 because it could not compete with other media for advertising revenue. The end of this publication marked the conclusion of the Golden Age of Photojournalism.
How did Mike Meadows violate ethical standards in Photojournalism?
Mike Meadows faced suspension without pay after his picture of firefighter Mike Alves cooling himself off with water was revealed to have been staged. He admitted saying it would make a nice shot even though he denied directly asking him to do that.