Don’t cry for journalists…

August 19, 2008 By

Look at this photo from the Olympics. I count about 75 photographers, each decked out with a $9,000 (or more expensive) camera and lens (and most of them are carrying several cameras).

This is in a year when tons of journalists are getting laid off.

This is in a year when there are tons of stories around the world that aren’t getting reported on.

Could we take half of those photographers and send them to Russia, for instance?

Or, Somalia?

Or, New Orleans?

Or Iran?

Or Congress?

You’re telling me that 67 of the world’s most expensive photojournalists are needed to make pictures of a sporting event and that they couldn’t be better used somewhere else?

OK, let’s say you’re correct. Well, then, don’t ask me to cry when your jobs go away because your business model is being disrupted. Don’t ask me to cry when a gossip magazine breaks a story that you should have. Don’t ask me to cry when Huffington Post gets more page views than your Olympics photos do.

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  • http://ircfreak.net BCK

    You’d assume a lot of them come from sporting periodicals or other related places. Even if they all are from newspapers or other such things, that’d be at most one photographer from each paper? and how many do they have? No matter how you cut it, the olympics are news, and they need to come it somehow.

  • http://trueslant.com/people/olgalednichenko/ olga-lednichenko-shulman

    Robert, There are enough people covering it. Don’t you think? Besides, Olympics is a major event. Wars - such as these come and go. But Olympics is a one in a few year event.

    I know in your part of the world its breaking news.. the wars et all. But in many parts of the world - east of Greenwich - such things happen.. How many people cover tech ( you included) gadgets versus - rape and assault in a third world?

    Also: Market forces dictate. market is not as evil as we make it to be. We are all responsible for creating the market. Are we not - consumers? can you imagine if we vote for a different consumption pattern - aside from Britteney and K Fed - and still the media will cover it? Media covers what we WANT it to cover.. Just as in a democracy we dont get leaders we deserve, but what we want.. and no its not the same and neither is it subtle..

    Cheers
    Olga Lednichenko
    PS: IF Americans did more sport - it would have been a healthy nation -> which in turn would have driven Mc Donald out the business -> which in turn would not make a bunch of people east of key west - eat mc donalnds because hey its Hip. its american.. Which in turn would drive the medical costs throughout the world - lower.. which in turn.. Ok.. I will stop now.. :)

    PS 2: Would you have said the same, if it wasn’t Olympics - but the WORLD - Footbal Cup.. Where the World = 50 US states ? try Sunday Football or well, how about the super bowl?

  • http://olgalednichenko.wordpress.com/2008/08/15/stop-press-russia-calls-for-hault-while-georgia-says-ist-still-being-bombed/ Olga Lednichenko

    Robert, There are enough people covering it. Don’t you think? Besides, Olympics is a major event. Wars - such as these come and go. But Olympics is a one in a few year event.

    I know in your part of the world its breaking news.. the wars et all. But in many parts of the world - east of Greenwich - such things happen.. How many people cover tech ( you included) gadgets versus - rape and assault in a third world?

    Also: Market forces dictate. market is not as evil as we make it to be. We are all responsible for creating the market. Are we not - consumers? can you imagine if we vote for a different consumption pattern - aside from Britteney and K Fed - and still the media will cover it? Media covers what we WANT it to cover.. Just as in a democracy we dont get leaders we deserve, but what we want.. and no its not the same and neither is it subtle..

    Cheers
    Olga Lednichenko
    PS: IF Americans did more sport - it would have been a healthy nation -> which in turn would have driven Mc Donald out the business -> which in turn would not make a bunch of people east of key west - eat mc donalnds because hey its Hip. its american.. Which in turn would drive the medical costs throughout the world - lower.. which in turn.. Ok.. I will stop now.. :)

    PS 2: Would you have said the same, if it wasn’t Olympics - but the WORLD - Footbal Cup.. Where the World = 50 US states ? try Sunday Football or well, how about the super bowl?

  • Dinesh

    Robert, I’m appaled by your simplicity.

    First these guys are sports photographers not photojournalists - different skill set and the transition isn’t easy.

    Secondly it’s the free market model at work. These guys are supplying a demand for images from the media who in turn are supplying demand from readers. The reason photojournalists are having such a hard time is that we the readers aren’t interested in a) still images anymore b) images of Russia (did you mean Georgia?), even less congress.

  • Dinesh

    Robert, I’m appaled by your simplicity.

    First these guys are sports photographers not photojournalists - different skill set and the transition isn’t easy.

    Secondly it’s the free market model at work. These guys are supplying a demand for images from the media who in turn are supplying demand from readers. The reason photojournalists are having such a hard time is that we the readers aren’t interested in a) still images anymore b) images of Russia (did you mean Georgia?), even less congress.

  • Christopher Coulter

    If the Cubs win the World Series this round…that’s a few World Cups and SuperBowls in one.

  • Christopher Coulter

    If the Cubs win the World Series this round…that’s a few World Cups and SuperBowls in one.

  • http://www.dealarchitect.typepad.com/ vinnie mirchandani

    Robert, if they hung around for 2 weeks I would agree, but the Opening Ceremony to me deserved the attention. To me, in terms of technology, political and other impact China’s ambitious “moonshot”ranked far higher (see two of my posts below) than the iPhone launches or the g6 summits and you know how many journalists and bloggers cover those

    http://florence20.typepad.com/renaissance/2008/08/technology-at-the-olympics-opening-cermony.html

    http://dealarchitect.typepad.com/deal_architect/2008/08/weekend-stuff-our-moonshot.html

  • http://www.dealarchitect.typepad.com vinnie mirchandani

    Robert, if they hung around for 2 weeks I would agree, but the Opening Ceremony to me deserved the attention. To me, in terms of technology, political and other impact China’s ambitious “moonshot”ranked far higher (see two of my posts below) than the iPhone launches or the g6 summits and you know how many journalists and bloggers cover those

    http://florence20.typepad.com/renaissance/2008/08/technology-at-the-olympics-opening-cermony.html

    http://dealarchitect.typepad.com/deal_architect/2008/08/weekend-stuff-our-moonshot.html

  • Tom Burgess

    You suggest that we use half those photographers on Congress? Are you serious? That’s absurd. You don’t even need one photographer there but if one was needed one would be totally sufficient. Why do you need photographers at Congress? A journalist (not a photo journalist) is all that is needed there. There is no newsworthy need for photos at Congress. Would you truly be more interested in looking at photos of tired old politicians that you seen thousands of times over the years, or some action shots of the worlds top atheletes competing in one of the worlds greatest sporting events?

    Send half those photographers to Congress indeed! LOL!!

  • Tom Burgess

    You suggest that we use half those photographers on Congress? Are you serious? That’s absurd. You don’t even need one photographer there but if one was needed one would be totally sufficient. Why do you need photographers at Congress? A journalist (not a photo journalist) is all that is needed there. There is no newsworthy need for photos at Congress. Would you truly be more interested in looking at photos of tired old politicians that you seen thousands of times over the years, or some action shots of the worlds top atheletes competing in one of the worlds greatest sporting events?

    Send half those photographers to Congress indeed! LOL!!

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