You don't have to be paid to be a photojournalist

In the past it has been mentioned that you are not a photojournalist unless you get paid. Not true. Anyone can be a photojournalist...paid or not.

"The job or activity of using photographs to report news stories in magazines or newspapers."

http://www.learnersdictionary.com/definition/photojournalism

(Actually definition is not up to date. You can be an online photojournalist as well.)

This is uncontroversial except to a few outliers.

Well, at least over here it is often necessary to prove of being a photojournalist by a press-card.
And to my understanding one only gets it if working professionaly in the meaning of commercially, being paid.

I know of photojournalists working pro-deo, but then they got a paid jobs too, and thus a respective press-card.

But as professional photography changed, photojournalism changed too, just think of bloggers. But with professional photo-journalists already often in trouble with authorities these new, grey, ones will be even more in trouble. So I guess this discussion is more academic than practical.

One needs to also examine carefully the definition of “press”.

Traditional definition is often believed to center on “work for” and “legitimate” news organization but may fail to address free-press, citizen-press, and self-published press in any of he various medium.

Many authorities feel the need/right to demand press credentials and make judgement on their legitimacy, often while inadvertently or intentionally stifling the press access or documentation activities.

This is the problem oft faced by first amendment rights activists who exercise their right to free speech and freedom of the press.

Yes but you also may clean kitchens in the whole neighborhood without being payed. I would not be amused about such hobby.

with regards

Adittional explanation : Photojurnalism has obviously a glory felt from people who wanted to be.
But if you are - you realize "There have never been such glory" it is allways a "dirty" job with the exeption that you are your own boss and decide on your own storys. But that is allways 0,02% of the market. Mostly you had to shot what a simply secretary from the bureau you told.

with regards

PS : Better shot birds in a forest - it is more interesting

I had a press card as a photo-journalist working for my University newspaper which, at the time, published three times weekly during the academic year.
Unless you count a few free meals during late night sessions at the printers, there was absolutely no payment!
Lots of great experience though!

MattKing said:

I had a press card as a photo-journalist working for my University newspaper which, at the time, published three times weekly during the academic year.
Unless you count a few free meals during late night sessions at the printers, there was absolutely no payment!
Lots of great experience though!

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I owned a press card from an official photojurnalism professional association over 6 years. There have been two different associations. I decided to one of them. It cost me not to much per year.
But the basis was a declaration from a company with reputation (listed at the photojournalism association) that you are working in main job for them.
That was the case.I can't say for sure how the practice was with freelancers at that time. Some (let's better say most of them) owned also a press card. But then they jobbed day for day for reputated companys as freelancers so their companys made sure with official association to approve them a press card. But there have been also some freelancers without press card they got trobble to get it.

Officials came in contact over the years with more and more types of press card froms different (inofficial associations) So a practice came up to that the police for example proved some "press cards" with a stronger LOOK and denied entry to location.
After the massive upcomming of more and more press cards from freelancers who worked just some days a year (hobby journalists) officials aceped just "the blue cards" (colors changed every 2years).

I remember most situations were no need of a press card was given. But one was able to show it .
There have been allways the same guys who were asked over a while :" May I see your press card pls
I am sorry your entry is denied otherwise show me an official press card from a photojournalism association - what you have is No press card.....
Sometimes that guys had luck because younger police authoritys let them in (caused from their niced colored inofficial cards)

But Matt that all was during the 80th 90th today practice changed totaly. If you today own an official
PRESS CARD as an official fotojournalist (free lancer or employer of Washington Post) it is no guarantee to come in at any location. You need in 90% in addition press accreditation.
That means you are listed per name official for that day the event/conference/sport competition happens. With our last example Washington Post make clear the days before such event that you will come / WAshington Post is sending you as a representive.
Just in case Washington Post itself is wellcome.....!

AND that could mean (in case of troubble often seen) that you may work official one day on a simple sport event. You have an official press card (freelancer or employer) you are official accredited from your company by Name. They let you in...! Fine ....but the next day your bureau made a failure so you are just accredited for the first day - not the next day's!
Then the same Person from the day before who is knowing you denied entry because you are not on his list for that day! "I know you worked yeasterday here and I remember you well but for today your bureau has no accreditation your Name is not on my list I am sorry you have to clear this issue next I can't let you in" is a well known sentence."
"But here is my official press card" is the 2. best knowing sentence..." Your entry is denied! till clearence so a press card is in the second line today.
On the other hand it is depending. The local sports Club will perhaps let you in if you state "I will official report about your local match I am a photographer here is my press card (inofficial best colored phantasy press card). May you let me in without paying ?"

But there you may have to pay nothing in any case - and they let you in for less like all otheris also!

And (that is the last update) of course "bloggers" are invited to special events. They may have never seen a press card - official press associations would perhaps denied a press card for them (just bloggers no way) but if they are known and reputated they more and more got an accreditation for an event.
That sometimes means that official Journalists get no accreditation (the total numbers of accreditations is often limited by the way) but some bloggers without journalistic background but best
equipped with IPhone came in on the last rare place.
Last Seen at Paris Fashion Show!

The question if one should do a job without being payed is remaining ?

with regards

It's not too hard to obtain a press card and credentials, many cities will issue a pass with a request. There was also IFPO which issued their own press pass to all members (International Freelance Press Organization) and published articles in their own magazine. Most such passes are not worth the paper they are printed on, you still need to contact individual events and request "creds" for that specific event. All that will still not get you in the front row at a Taylor Swift event (good thing, she delights in smashing cameras https://www.dpreview.com/articles/9...tography-contract-revised-following-criticism

There's a guy in my town that has shot for 50+ years, has his own AV Company, he sorta retired and now covers a lot of events here free, you'll see him everywhere around here, everyone knows George and he has unlimited access to fires, events, etc. Fire department has often requested photos to assist in their arson investigations.

darkroommike said:

It's not too hard to obtain a press card and credentials, many cities will issue a pass with a request. There was also IFPO which issued their own press pass to all members (International Freelance Press Organization) and published articles in their own magazine. Most such passes are not worth the paper they are printed on, you still need to contact individual events and request "creds" for that specific event. All that will still not get you in the front row at a Taylor Swift event (good thing, she delights in smashing cameras https://www.dpreview.com/articles/9...tography-contract-revised-following-criticism

There's a guy in my town that has shot for 50+ years, has his own AV Company, he sorta retired and now covers a lot of events here free, you'll see him everywhere around here, everyone knows George and he has unlimited access to fires, events, etc. Fire department has often requested photos to assist in their arson investigations.

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Nice ...as you metioned Tailor Swift I just remember : A day in the past a girlfriend of mine reported she wasn't amused about the Oskar Nominatinon of Julia Roberts (Erin Brocovich).
She told me she saw the Film and Julia Roberts has no talent as actress at all and it does not help her to act with a deepest "very low cut" (in original sound my girlfriend spoke about "showing her brest" but I am perhaps not allowed to state)
Ok - so I can not say why but it seams that she just have hated Julia Roberts....?
Some weeks later Julia Roberts had won the Oskar as "best female actor" (in Erin Brocovich) and she
the girlfriend of mine perhaps begann to hate her more?

I can't recognize what was going on - maybe the film wasn't the right film or the THEATRE wasn't her the day she was in CINEMA.
To me there have been allmost more worste actors or actress in comparison -the Film wasn't so bad also.
But I remember next day during job in a TV show I was around to look for the bureau of the producer.
I did not find it at once - the next door was marked with a shield : "Wardrobe Mrs.Julia Roberts"


no fear I didn't entered

Press card or No Press card

with regards

Photojournalists can be paid? What year is it? 1987?

With most press cutting loose its staff photographers, nearly everyone is freelance. Question is whether you are paid in advance to cover an event or you sell a story on spec. Are you less a photojournalist if the on spec story doesn't sell?

jim10219 said:

Photojournalists can be paid? What year is it? 1987?

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1987 was the year fotojournalists have all been paid! Some better than some others.
If you were not payd you 1)haven't be a professionel and you wasn't able to give the shot of the century to agencys nevertheless you are professional or not.
2) no agency gave you entry because you shot amatheuric (also in format by the way)
3) you have been a professionel but your results have been such lousy that agencys you worked for longer wanted your shots but to archive it for somewhere in the future : "Nice shots you made ,give it to me perhaps you get money for it but I do not belive."

Today more and more photographers get not payed at all. Look at your local newspaper read the credits. It isn't the so called "amatheuric photo of the day" allone. It is shown during weather reports in TV it is an upcomming method to come from cheap agency photograpical content on demand (USD 79,- per picture for example) to cheaper content.
To pay nothing but the amatheuric photograper is named

Today some more examples ?

with regards

Because of the advent of cell phone photography, many pictures of events as they occur are taken by amateurs who just happen to be there. So we get photos and videos that would be over if official photographers were sent to the activity. Fires, accidents, explosions, dog fights, etc. You get the picture. SO the newspapers and TV outlets depend on these more and more. Of course, scheduled events like World Series, campaigns, etc are handled by the regular photographers where more professional interaction, lighting, staging, interviews, etc are required. So the latter still have to be paid.

i remember an article I read some years ago by a genuine war photographer. He was complain that when he went to a war zone he took lots of equipment-- cameras and several lenses, a bulletproof vest, and helmet, but that nowadays the younger generation shows up next to him in baseball cap and short pants, shooting with a cellphone.

faberryman said:

With most press cutting loose its staff photographers, nearly everyone is freelance. Question is whether you are paid in advance to cover an event or you sell a story on spec. Are you less a photojournalist if the on spec story doesn't sell?

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You're less of a photojournalist if none (or almost none) are published by a credible news organization. I don't think working on spec (essentially freelance) is the deciding factor anymore. Of course I realize that "credible news organization" is open to interpretation.

I take photos news for our lake association newsletter. They are published online and in print. But I don't claim to be a photojournalist.

back when i was doing press work i worked with louis hine in the textile mills
and sweat shops and tenemants of new york city. it was a different world back then
unlike today not everyone was a news hound. we got paid a little not much though
they say a lot of our work is on that site on the inter webs called schlorpee or something like that
i don't know how to get there. the glass plates and flash powder still worked good.

faberryman said:

With most press cutting loose its staff photographers, nearly everyone is freelance. Question is whether you are paid in advance to cover an event or you sell a story on spec. Are you less a photojournalist if the on spec story doesn't sell?

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Last I heard, if you sell a story on speculation, you are commonly known as one of the kind of photographers that Princess Diana was trying to get away from when she was killed. Paparazzi! (hope I spelled it right)..........Regards!

Arklatexian said:

Last I heard, if you sell a story on speculation, you are commonly known as one of the kind of photographers that Princess Diana was trying to get away from when she was killed. Paparazzi! (hope I spelled it right)..........Regards!

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You spelled it right. But not all spec work is paparazzi. A smart PJ sends a query letter first and gets and assignment, better chance of getting paid. But a lot of PJ is on still spec, not every freelancer shoots on spec, and not every PJ is a paparazzo (singular).

darkroommike said:

You spelled it right. But not all spec work is paparazzi. A smart PJ sends a query letter first and gets and assignment, better chance of getting paid. But a lot of PJ is on still spec, not every freelancer shoots on spec, and not every PJ is a paparazzo (singular).

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Photojournalism, like most other lines of work, is most respectable when done free-lance.