Subject: Re: The Sun-Times Layoffs: 'It Was as if They Deleted a Whole
Culture'
Miriam and All,
As a former professional photographer, trained by one of Seattle's most
versatile portrait, commercial and news photographers, I try to keep my
mouth shut when blind people go on about how they can "take pictures".
Let's get real.
If I sat a totally deaf man at a piano and said that he should go ahead and
"compose" a tune, he might pound away on the keys, having a jolly old time,
but it could never be considered composing music.
I can take a camera, as a totally blind man, point it around and snap the
shutter and declare that I am a photographer.
No way! And yet, the sighted public is just as guilty as we blind people
who think that photography is simply the ability to point and click. The
average person, blind or sighted, has not one clue about the complexities
involved in becoming an accomplished photographer. And that's not even
considering that there are photographers and there are artists in
photography.
I did mostly commercial photography. Weddings, college and high school
graduation proms, group shots like bowling teams. And babies. It's hard to
miss with babies. But to be a fine portrait photographer? Or to do
landscapes and creative photography? That takes both hard work and talent.
I had a friend who thought it would be great to become a famous nude
photographer. But he would never show me his efforts. One night I was
using his dark room and I pulled out a drawer...okay, I was snooping around,
and in the back of the drawer was a stack of prints. I learned that night
that it is possible to take a beautiful woman and make her look grotesque.
It takes training, experience, careful planning and, I believe, an artistic
streak to become a skilled photographer. And these papers are making the
same mistake. Fire all of the skilled cameramen and put on part timers and
snapshots sent in by the public. Well the public will get what they
deserve. But hey, if blind folks want to point and click and tell their
friends that they are a photographer, go for it. Have fun.
And now I'm off to see if that room full of monkeys pounding away on their
typewriters have typed me the Holy Bible.
Carl Jarvis
----- Original Message -----
From: "Miriam Vieni" <miriamvieni@optonline.net>
To: "'Blind Democracy Discussion List'" <blind-democracy@octothorp.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 02, 2013 3:43 PM
Subject: RE: The Sun-Times Layoffs: 'It Was as if They Deleted a Whole
Culture'
I think that it's difficult for blind people to have a realistic discussion
about the value of photography. But the point of the article is that there's
a difference between professional photography which can be an art and
snapping a picture. And I think we'd need someone with full vision and an
appreciation of photography as an art in order to really debate the point.
However, having heard very serious discussions of the photographic effects
in film and knowing that there have been exhibitions of the photographic
works of famous photographers, and having read descriptions of how
photographers work in novels,I assume that there is a vast difference
between snapping a picture on one's Iphone and planning and composing a
picture in order to communicate information or atmosphere.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounces@octothorp.org
[mailto:blind-democracy-bounces@octothorp.org] On Behalf Of ted chittenden
Sent: Sunday, June 02, 2013 5:47 PM
To: Blind Democracy Discussion List
Subject: Re: The Sun-Times Layoffs: 'It Was as if They Deleted a Whole
Culture'
I expect to see more of this as more companies in the journalism business
realize that with Apple aps and good editing, basically anybody can be a
photographer. We have placed so much faith in businesses and the free market
system that we have forgotten (and some of us were never told in the first
place) that the only reason for businesses, especially those that are traded
publicly, to exist is to increase the value of their stockholders' shares,
no matter who gets hurt in the process.
--
Ted Chittenden
Every story has at least two sides if not more.
---- Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@optonline.net> wrote:
Irby reports: "John White's 44-year career at The Chicago Sun-Times has been
rooted in faith and professionalism. It's a career he refers to as 'an
assignment from God.'"
The Chicago Sun-Times laid off its entire full-time photography staff
Thursday. (photo: AP)
The Sun-Times Layoffs: 'It Was as if They Deleted a Whole Culture'
By Kenneth Irby, Poynter
02 June 13
John White's 44-year career at The Chicago Sun-Times has been rooted in
faith and professionalism. It's a career he refers to as "an assignment from
God."
Earlier this week, that career came to an end on what some photographers
have called the darkest day in Sun-Times photojournalism history. The paper
announced Thursday that it had laid off its entire photojournalism staff and
would rely on freelance photographers and reporters instead.
White - who has seen the paper go through many owners and changes - says he
never imagined that his and his colleagues' careers would end so abruptly.
In a phone interview, the 1982 Pulitzer prize-winning photojournalist and
teacher recalled a day that he is still "trying to make sense of."
"This is what I remember hearing: 'As you know we are going forward into
multimedia and video, and that is going to be our focus. So we are
eliminating the photography department.' Then they turned it over to HR,"
recounted White, who had already been doing video at the paper.
White said it all began with an email alert on Wednesday evening directing
the staff to attend a 9:30 am meeting on Thursday - which White said was
"only the second meeting with the new managers." He called the meeting
"intimidating" and said "there was a toxic and unkind spirit in the office."
White said the 28 full-time photography department staffers who received the
news seemed shocked: "It was as if they pushed a button and deleted a whole
culture of photojournalism."
Those being laid off were asked to return company equipment, White said, and
their access badges were demagnetized while they were receiving their layoff
packages.
The changing photojournalism landscape
The Sun-Times plans to rely on reporters to take photos and videos and has
begun mandatory "iPhone photography basics." Its decision is just the latest
example of a disconcerting trend in American media: professional
photojournalism is being downsized and devalued, with news organizations
increasingly turning to wire services, citizen-submitted content and
independent/freelance contributions.
The elimination of an entire photography staff is fairly uncommon among
daily larger newspapers, but it's not unprecedented. In 2008, Newsday
terminated its 20-person photography staff and then allowed them to reapply
for new multimedia jobs. It comes as no coincidence that Tim Knight, who's
now the publisher of the Sun-Times, was the publisher at Newsday when that
transition was implemented.
Former Sun-Times managing editor Gregory Favre was disturbed and perplexed
by the news. Favre said by phone that he "can't imagine not having a devoted
staff that is focused on accurately portraying the city. ... I cannot think
of how you capture the culture and essence of such a vibrant city without a
photographic staff. There is no substitute for professionalism in the
craft."
Favre added that "with freelancers and independent photographers, there is a
loss of loyalty. ... Most reporters will deliver point-and-shoot snapshots,
not penetrating and revealing coverage. Skilled professionals bring a unique
eye and feel to their craft."
Favre compared the loss of a paper's in-house staff to "cutting the eyes out
of the body. ... John White was the eye that was always looking for the soul
of Chicago."
Dealing with the shock
While several of the dismissed Sun-Times photographers gathered at the Billy
Goat Tavern on Lower Michigan Avenue to console themselves, White hopped
into his car and headed to the lake in dire need of meditation, recalling
that he "just wanted to disappear and needed to be alone."
He and his Sun-Times colleagues are just the latest professional
photographers to face a daunting revelation: Their employers know their work
is at the highest level of excellence, but aren't willing to pay for it.
White said he was most concerned about his colleagues - the former students,
young families and folks who came in while on medical leave. He also worries
about readers, who will no longer be able to experience "the most important
ingredient of communication and understanding" in quite the same way.
"Humanity is being robbed," he said, "by people with money on their minds."
While by the lake, White turned to a reading from Psalm 20:4: "May he give
you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed."
He reiterated: "My assignment comes from God."
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
The Chicago Sun-Times laid off its entire full-time photography staff
Thursday. (photo: AP)
http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/top-stories/215016/john-white-on-sun-time
s-layoffs-it-was-as-if-they-pushed-a-button-and-deleted-a-whole-culture/http
://www.poynter.org/latest-news/top-stories/215016/john-white-on-sun-times-la
yoffs-it-was-as-if-they-pushed-a-button-and-deleted-a-whole-culture/
The Sun-Times Layoffs: 'It Was as if They Deleted a Whole Culture'
By Kenneth Irby, Poynter
02 June 13
ohn White's 44-year career at The Chicago Sun-Times has been rooted in faith
and professionalism. It's a career he refers to as "an assignment from God."
Earlier this week, that career came to an end on what some photographers
have called the darkest day in Sun-Times photojournalism history. The paper
announced Thursday that it had laid off its entire photojournalism staff and
would rely on freelance photographers and reporters instead.
White - who has seen the paper go through many owners and changes - says he
never imagined that his and his colleagues' careers would end so abruptly.
In a phone interview, the 1982 Pulitzer prize-winning photojournalist and
teacher recalled a day that he is still "trying to make sense of."
"This is what I remember hearing: 'As you know we are going forward into
multimedia and video, and that is going to be our focus. So we are
eliminating the photography department.' Then they turned it over to HR,"
recounted White, who had already been doing video at the paper.
White said it all began with an email alert on Wednesday evening directing
the staff to attend a 9:30 am meeting on Thursday - which White said was
"only the second meeting with the new managers." He called the meeting
"intimidating" and said "there was a toxic and unkind spirit in the office."
White said the 28 full-time photography department staffers who received the
news seemed shocked: "It was as if they pushed a button and deleted a whole
culture of photojournalism."
Those being laid off were asked to return company equipment, White said, and
their access badges were demagnetized while they were receiving their layoff
packages.
The changing photojournalism landscape
The Sun-Times plans to rely on reporters to take photos and videos and has
begun mandatory "iPhone photography basics." Its decision is just the latest
example of a disconcerting trend in American media: professional
photojournalism is being downsized and devalued, with news organizations
increasingly turning to wire services, citizen-submitted content and
independent/freelance contributions.
The elimination of an entire photography staff is fairly uncommon among
daily larger newspapers, but it's not unprecedented. In 2008, Newsday
terminated its 20-person photography staff and then allowed them to reapply
for new multimedia jobs. It comes as no coincidence that Tim Knight, who's
now the publisher of the Sun-Times, was the publisher at Newsday when that
transition was implemented.
Former Sun-Times managing editor Gregory Favre was disturbed and perplexed
by the news. Favre said by phone that he "can't imagine not having a devoted
staff that is focused on accurately portraying the city. ... I cannot think
of how you capture the culture and essence of such a vibrant city without a
photographic staff. There is no substitute for professionalism in the
craft."
Favre added that "with freelancers and independent photographers, there is a
loss of loyalty. ... Most reporters will deliver point-and-shoot snapshots,
not penetrating and revealing coverage. Skilled professionals bring a unique
eye and feel to their craft."
Favre compared the loss of a paper's in-house staff to "cutting the eyes out
of the body. ... John White was the eye that was always looking for the soul
of Chicago."
Dealing with the shock
While several of the dismissed Sun-Times photographers gathered at the Billy
Goat Tavern on Lower Michigan Avenue to console themselves, White hopped
into his car and headed to the lake in dire need of meditation, recalling
that he "just wanted to disappear and needed to be alone."
He and his Sun-Times colleagues are just the latest professional
photographers to face a daunting revelation: Their employers know their work
is at the highest level of excellence, but aren't willing to pay for it.
White said he was most concerned about his colleagues - the former students,
young families and folks who came in while on medical leave. He also worries
about readers, who will no longer be able to experience "the most important
ingredient of communication and understanding" in quite the same way.
"Humanity is being robbed," he said, "by people with money on their minds."
While by the lake, White turned to a reading from Psalm 20:4: "May he give
you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed."
He reiterated: "My assignment comes from God."
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Blind-Democracy@octothorp.org
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