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A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

The Shop Talk panelists discuss the Chicago Sun Times’ decision to lay off all 28 of its fulltime photographers.

One day later, reporters received a memo about a training program for using their phones to take photos in the field.

The Shop Talk panelists say this looks like another attempt by a large media outlet to “do more with less.” There’s nothing wrong with seeking efficiencies, but reporters are bound to miss something when they’re asked to juggle multiple responsibilities in the field. Either a great image will be missed while an interview is being done, or an interview will be missed while photos are being snapped.

The panelists also wonder why photojournalists don’t receive more respect. There is more to the craft than pointing and shooting. The best photographers – including some of those let go by the Sun Times – can tell a memorable story with a single image.

Rich is TSPR's News Director.