The State of News Photography: The Lives and Livelihoods of Photojournalists in the Digital Age

Abstract

First paragraph: The image is a central and vital component in modern communication. Yet the photographers who are responsible for making, processing, and disseminating professional pictures on a daily basis have rarely been studied. Who are they, where and how do they work, what rewards do they receive, and what problems and risks do they face? This report presents information about the world’s professional photographic community with a special focus on photojournalists. It is the outcome of a research project conducted by the University of Stirling, the World Press Photo Foundation (WPPh), and the University of Oxford’s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. The study investigates the identities, working conditions, practices, technology use, and ethics of a large number of photographers across the world. The report is based on an online survey of professional photographers who entered the 2015 World Press Photo Contest. A total of 1,556 photographers from more than 100 countries and territories completed the questionnaire. Evidence from the questionnaire is summarised below. This is the first large-scale international survey of its kind but it is intended that this survey will be repeated annually to track the changes and circumstances of professional photojournalists and to examine the impact of the digital era on their lives and livelihoods.  This report is freely available at Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. Click here.