The Importance of Photojournalism in News Articles

Could Photojournalists be becoming more important than traditional Journalists?

Whoever said that a picture can say a thousand words was definitely not wrong.  Today, you rarely see a media piece that isn't illustrated by at least one image; pictures are the deciding factor that make or break an interesting article.  Photojournalism has been an integral part of journalism ever since the camera was first invented.  You only have to type 'photojournalism images' into Google for evidence that the profession has absolutely no signs of slowing up.

Photojournalists are especially important in the reporting of current events.  The images summarise what is said in the article, they support the statements being made and make the article more effective overall.  Since an increasing umber of people do not have time to sit and read the entire article, images can often speak louder than several words can.  The image is unbiased, it enhances the story and makes it more understandable for the reader.

It is the images that capture the attention of the reader first, then the title, and lastly the article. Magazine and newspaper readers today are known as 'serial skimmers' as they flick through a publication for any words, titles, images or quotes that might interest them, and more often than not, it is the image that grabs them first.  It is so important for the image to highlight the main issues in a news story so the reader can immediately identify whether or not they are interested enough to continue reading.

We are now living in an age where digitalisation is reaching an all time high and the way people consume their information is changing dramatically every day.  With the rise in mediums such as social media, blogging, microblogging and vlogging, it is becoming essential that the readers attention is captured as fast as possible.  It is interesting to point out that most people don't turn to social media just to share a picture of their latest "Starbucks fave" (although that is part of it), but instead, they're using it to gain access to the news that matters to them.

According to an article by HuffingtonPost.com, since 2013, 50% of Facebook and Twitter users have used the platforms to access news, showing just how visual and digital todays news has become. The rise of social media means anyone can now call themselves a journalist if they wanted to, all they have to do is post some sort of information that they are interested in.  The use of smartphones has made it incredibly easy to capture events as they happen, and often the most well-known or well-heard of news stories originate from an average person capturing the event on camera, for example some of the more heart-wrenching footage of the 2015 Paris attacks were caught on camera by average citizens.

Images are so important for enhancing news stories and grabbing the attention of the reader, but they can also create news stories with the help of social media for circulation.