Are Photojournalists Still Relevant? Why?”
Yes, the Photojournalists are still relevant. Photography was first used by artists as it helped to freeze a single, fleeting moment in time. While just about anyone can take and submit a photograph, the editorial process plays a huge, often overlooked role in photographs that we see in the news and magazines. Now a day citizen photojournalists armed with mobile phones can perform many of the task of photojournalists. but Photojournalists have a drive and desire to freeze an epic moment that can be shared with a larger audience through the universal medium of photography. This drive often transcends concerns for their own safety and well-being. This leads to more realistic, captivating images than others. They are willing to put themselves in potentially dangerous situations for their profession. From my own experience, I want to say at the time of student protest in 2018, one young photojournalist was brutally bitten by the Bangladesh Ruling Party Activist. At that time all the professional photojournalist (including me) was blocked in front of this incident. Where no citizen journalists were there. because they are not supposed to be a photojournalist. they won’t take their life in risk like professional journalists.
Whereas, Citizen journalists are unable to match the quality information, context, and knowledge of a place or event that a dedicated and experienced photojournalist is capable of creating. Creativity, artistry, and collaboration keep photojournalists ahead of and above citizen journalists. and Documentary photojournalism was never more needed than it is today to add visual and textual dimensions to the urgent questions that confront mankind.
At the end I would like to say, by holding a camera everyone can be a photographer but photojournalist is not a simple term. Everyone can click a photo by hobby, by what happened around us but we won’t found them when it will be a matter of life risk. And a true photojournalist is those who can go out at any hour, day, day after day, and week after week and deliver an accurate, verifiable, complete and truthful story.
Zabed Hasnain Chowdhury (Anando)
Photojournalist and Documentary Photographer Based in Bangladesh.
Student of Diploma in Visual Journalism
The Asian Center for Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University
