791 Discussion of Photo Tags for Wednesday, Nov. 9
Journalism 791 Final Project Outline
Professor Lenert
“Internet photo tagging and the future of visual journalism”
by Marti Howell
November 9, 2005
INTRODUCTION TO NEWS PHOTOGRAPHS:
What is a traditional news photograph?
A traditional news photograph at a newspaper is usually taken by newspaper staff. Photos published on the front page (and often on section fronts) are in color.
Most other photographs in the paper are black and white.
At newspapers like the Times-News in Twin Falls, Idaho, and the Guymon (Oklahoma) Daily Herald, the staff photographers are responsible for news photos, advertising photos and even graphic design. File photos are often used – even for front-page stories – at these midsize newspapers (circulation 2,000-20,000).
At larger papers like the New York Times (circulation 12-20 million), there may be photographers who specialize in one type of photo or image. For example, there may be two art designers that deal only in informational graphics and maps and a second team who create photo illustrations.
Newspapers large and small use “stand-alone” photos – most often these appear on the front page. A stand-alone photo does not accompany a story. It tells its own story. It frequently has a longer caption than other photos but have only a few words of explanation. Some examples of frequently-used stand-alone subjects are the passing of the seasons, children in various weather conditions, animals crossing roads or otherwise mixing with civilization and groundbreaking ceremonies and parades.
The rule of thumb in all newspaper art departments is that local images are often more newsworthy than national or international photos.
Note: A traditional file photo is usually one that a newspaper has run in a previous story, although it may be one that a staffer took and stored, unpublished.
What is a news photo’s function?
A photograph:
· Either provides an illustration for an accompanying story or stands alone as a story in itself.
· Provides balance to a newspaper page – photos are the anchor of a broadsheet layout.
· Gives the page white space – as integral piece of the layout puzzle.
· Makes the newspaper and the story more appealing to the reader.
· May be an informational graphic, a photo illustration or a file photo.
DIFFUSION OF IMAGES:
How does the media get news photographs?
The old way:
· Newspaper photographer takes a picture on film (the really old way) or with a digital camera.
· The picture is developed in a darkroom (old) or uploaded into the newspaper’s computer system (EPS process).
· It is set onto x-ray layout plates (old) or sent electronically to layout (EPS).
· Negatives are filed by the photographer in darkroom files (old) or in the newspaper’s computer system (EPS).
· Wire service images are picked up by most newspapers.
· Most photos in the newspaper are still black and white.
The new way:
Newspapers: Photographers still take photos and newspapers still use wire service images but Internet and photo-editing software have made the process much faster and easier.
· Internet news outlets: Photo sharing has made an infinite number of images available to anyone with Internet access.
· Flickr operation:
· RSS system
· Easy uploading tools for Windows and Macintosh
· Tags and privacy settings
· A mobile version of the website for viewing photos on web-enabled cell phone or PDA
· Photos may be sent directly to any blog, by email
· Group photo pools so many people can put their photos of an event, say, in one place.
· Organizr to sort photos
THOSE IN FAVOR OF MILLIONS OF IMAGES BEING AVAILABLE TO EDITORS WORLDWIDE:
Opinion of Media Expert
Citizen journalists and the future of participatory journalism depend on how well technology like photo tagging works. When the public can share images with the media, citizen reporting is enriched with visual appeal comparable to that of mainstream media outlets.
Editors like John Robinson of the Greensboro(North Carolina) News & Record call this “open-source journalism.” By gathering information from professional journalists and citizen journalists alike, he believes that a more productive exchange of ideas can be facilitated.
“Please join us in this conversation,” he urges other newspapermen. “It’s where the future is.”
Interview with media expert to follow…
THOSE OPPOSED TO MILLIONS OF IMAGES BEING AVAILABLE TO EDITORS WORLDWIDE:
Opinion of Media Expert
Mark Glaser discuss the trend of more news sources that rely upon amateur video to fill visual news holes. He expresses fears that videographers may lose their jobs to outside submissions.
Interview with local photographer to follow…
THE FUTURE:
How have tagged photos changed journalism?
The traditional value of local images is greatly enhanced by the availability of images on sites like Flickr. In a time when more and more news consumers expect custom, on-demand news, access to this vast library of visuals is invaluable.
What further influence might they have?
One may reasonable expect that there will be more tagged-photo websites in the future. As more people gain access, more tagged photos will appear. Software will likely become even easier to use.
SAMPLE STORIES USING INTERNET IMAGES:
Flickr
The following examples show what can be gleaned from two popular photo-sharing websites.
Assignment – Find photographs to illustrate various voodoo doll styles.
Please access the following link to see what I found:
www.flickr.com/photos/westernphotog/favorites/show/
Google
Assignment – Put together a feature photo package of a cemetery in Savannah, Georgia.
All photos (please see links for three) are of Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia.
Assessment: It would have taken me many weeks to gather these images without the Internet photo-sharing sites. I perhaps would not be able to write features on topics such as these in the traditional newsroom. In the virtual newsroom, the compiling of these images took less than two hours – and I only used the ones I really liked. I viewed dozens of images… instantly. The additional of these previously unavailable images could make my story locally colorful and overall greatly enriched.
WHY THIS MATTERS TO EDITORS:
The Internet is a visual medium. All of the purposes that a news photo serves – as illustration, as layout aid, as art, as appeal to audience – are enhanced in this medium. Unlike the television, the Internet has never been confined to mostly black and white photos. Most newspaper photos are still B&W.
As always, visuals are the key to attracting – and aesthetically pleasing – news consumers. This is especially true in the Internet news world. Visuals are one of the features that made the Web so appealing in the first place. As time and technological advances weave an ever-more-complex web, the manner in which images are formed, stored and shared will become more important.
It would behoove editors to keep up with this quickly-changing aspect of the Internet media as consumers are already on board.
LINKS TO PHOTO SITES:
No report on visual journalism would be complete without visual aids.
The following links take you to some photo sites. Please find them under "Links":
www.flickr.com/photos/westernphotog/favorites/show/
www.garyscottthompson.com/bonaventure_cemetery.htm
www.ourlatestvacation.com
www.ghostmag.com/graphics/2005-05/Savannah-Gracie.jpg
www.flickr.com/photos/westernphotog/
Professor Lenert
“Internet photo tagging and the future of visual journalism”
by Marti Howell
November 9, 2005
Note: If you do nothing else, check out the Voodoo Dolls link in the "Links" section..
INTRODUCTION TO NEWS PHOTOGRAPHS:
What is a traditional news photograph?
A traditional news photograph at a newspaper is usually taken by newspaper staff. Photos published on the front page (and often on section fronts) are in color.
Most other photographs in the paper are black and white.
At newspapers like the Times-News in Twin Falls, Idaho, and the Guymon (Oklahoma) Daily Herald, the staff photographers are responsible for news photos, advertising photos and even graphic design. File photos are often used – even for front-page stories – at these midsize newspapers (circulation 2,000-20,000).
At larger papers like the New York Times (circulation 12-20 million), there may be photographers who specialize in one type of photo or image. For example, there may be two art designers that deal only in informational graphics and maps and a second team who create photo illustrations.
Newspapers large and small use “stand-alone” photos – most often these appear on the front page. A stand-alone photo does not accompany a story. It tells its own story. It frequently has a longer caption than other photos but have only a few words of explanation. Some examples of frequently-used stand-alone subjects are the passing of the seasons, children in various weather conditions, animals crossing roads or otherwise mixing with civilization and groundbreaking ceremonies and parades.
The rule of thumb in all newspaper art departments is that local images are often more newsworthy than national or international photos.
Note: A traditional file photo is usually one that a newspaper has run in a previous story, although it may be one that a staffer took and stored, unpublished.
What is a news photo’s function?
A photograph:
· Either provides an illustration for an accompanying story or stands alone as a story in itself.
· Provides balance to a newspaper page – photos are the anchor of a broadsheet layout.
· Gives the page white space – as integral piece of the layout puzzle.
· Makes the newspaper and the story more appealing to the reader.
· May be an informational graphic, a photo illustration or a file photo.
DIFFUSION OF IMAGES:
How does the media get news photographs?
The old way:
· Newspaper photographer takes a picture on film (the really old way) or with a digital camera.
· The picture is developed in a darkroom (old) or uploaded into the newspaper’s computer system (EPS process).
· It is set onto x-ray layout plates (old) or sent electronically to layout (EPS).
· Negatives are filed by the photographer in darkroom files (old) or in the newspaper’s computer system (EPS).
· Wire service images are picked up by most newspapers.
· Most photos in the newspaper are still black and white.
The new way:
Newspapers: Photographers still take photos and newspapers still use wire service images but Internet and photo-editing software have made the process much faster and easier.
· Internet news outlets: Photo sharing has made an infinite number of images available to anyone with Internet access.
· Flickr operation:
· RSS system
· Easy uploading tools for Windows and Macintosh
· Tags and privacy settings
· A mobile version of the website for viewing photos on web-enabled cell phone or PDA
· Photos may be sent directly to any blog, by email
· Group photo pools so many people can put their photos of an event, say, in one place.
· Organizr to sort photos
THOSE IN FAVOR OF MILLIONS OF IMAGES BEING AVAILABLE TO EDITORS WORLDWIDE:
Opinion of Media Expert
Citizen journalists and the future of participatory journalism depend on how well technology like photo tagging works. When the public can share images with the media, citizen reporting is enriched with visual appeal comparable to that of mainstream media outlets.
Editors like John Robinson of the Greensboro(North Carolina) News & Record call this “open-source journalism.” By gathering information from professional journalists and citizen journalists alike, he believes that a more productive exchange of ideas can be facilitated.
“Please join us in this conversation,” he urges other newspapermen. “It’s where the future is.”
Interview with media expert to follow…
THOSE OPPOSED TO MILLIONS OF IMAGES BEING AVAILABLE TO EDITORS WORLDWIDE:
Opinion of Media Expert
Mark Glaser discuss the trend of more news sources that rely upon amateur video to fill visual news holes. He expresses fears that videographers may lose their jobs to outside submissions.
Interview with local photographer to follow…
THE FUTURE:
How have tagged photos changed journalism?
The traditional value of local images is greatly enhanced by the availability of images on sites like Flickr. In a time when more and more news consumers expect custom, on-demand news, access to this vast library of visuals is invaluable.
What further influence might they have?
One may reasonable expect that there will be more tagged-photo websites in the future. As more people gain access, more tagged photos will appear. Software will likely become even easier to use.
SAMPLE STORIES USING INTERNET IMAGES:
Flickr
The following examples show what can be gleaned from two popular photo-sharing websites.
Assignment – Find photographs to illustrate various voodoo doll styles.
Please access the following link to see what I found:
www.flickr.com/photos/westernphotog/favorites/show/
Assignment – Put together a feature photo package of a cemetery in Savannah, Georgia.
All photos (please see links for three) are of Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia.
Assessment: It would have taken me many weeks to gather these images without the Internet photo-sharing sites. I perhaps would not be able to write features on topics such as these in the traditional newsroom. In the virtual newsroom, the compiling of these images took less than two hours – and I only used the ones I really liked. I viewed dozens of images… instantly. The additional of these previously unavailable images could make my story locally colorful and overall greatly enriched.
WHY THIS MATTERS TO EDITORS:
The Internet is a visual medium. All of the purposes that a news photo serves – as illustration, as layout aid, as art, as appeal to audience – are enhanced in this medium. Unlike the television, the Internet has never been confined to mostly black and white photos. Most newspaper photos are still B&W.
As always, visuals are the key to attracting – and aesthetically pleasing – news consumers. This is especially true in the Internet news world. Visuals are one of the features that made the Web so appealing in the first place. As time and technological advances weave an ever-more-complex web, the manner in which images are formed, stored and shared will become more important.
It would behoove editors to keep up with this quickly-changing aspect of the Internet media as consumers are already on board.
LINKS TO PHOTO SITES:
No report on visual journalism would be complete without visual aids.
The following links take you to some photo sites. Please find them under "Links":
www.flickr.com/photos/westernphotog/favorites/show/
www.garyscottthompson.com/bonaventure_cemetery.htm
www.ourlatestvacation.com
www.ghostmag.com/graphics/2005-05/Savannah-Gracie.jpg
www.flickr.com/photos/westernphotog/
posted by Marti at 10:28 AM
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