Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Photojournalists: The key to getting published and staying safe

26/08/2020

Thomson Foundation trainer and award winning photojournalist Glenn Edwards shares his experience of covering events for national and international publications across the globe, the majority in Africa. Many of his assignments have included covering protests and most recently he has been photographing the Black Lives Matters demonstrations in his native Wales.

Whether a demonstration is at home or in another country, if you don't know the details of the story, and reasons behind the protests, how can you convey this in your photographs?

Often the foundations of a conflict or protest are political or religious, issues that have engulfed the region for many years. Understanding these influence how you approach any situation, what you should wear on location, how you behave. Helping you to better understand your surroundings and integrate more easily.

On any assignment access to local knowledge is key to finding out the best place to record the story, the time and location of demonstrations, the venue for the leading figures to make speeches. Being able to show an understanding of the situation will give you credibility with local people who will be more willing to help you confident that you are interested in reflecting events with honesty.

Sierra Leone elections 2002

Zanzibar elections 2005

Why are you going? Who are you there for? Before embarking on an assignment that will involve expenditure, you should think of the cost implications and how you will sell your work.

As an individual, why are you going? If money is the motivation, in my experience, you are likely to fail. The competition is vast with numerous picture agencies covering any news story.

Picture desks Tell newspaper and magazine picture desks you are going before you travel. It is unlikely you will get a commission. The usual response is great, show us your work when you get back which is often too late. However they will know you are there if they need more pictures.

News agencies Tell the agencies you are going as they sometimes need a second photographer. This will also raise awareness of your work with them. If you are working for an agency everything should be organized but talk to them before you go so you know their procedure.

Other markets Look for stock libraries suitable for your work for long-term sales.

Look for other work with for example non-governmental-organisations (NGOs). However don't forget you will be gone in a week or a month leaving the charity workers still there. Don't do anything or put yourself in situations that could put these people at risk when you are gone.

Sierra Leone elections 2002

Telling the story Often it is good to move away from the front line and look for stories that show the consequences and reasons for the demonstration. Stories the agency staff photographers may miss.

Think of the longer story, the bigger picture, a story you can work on for the whole time you are there. This broadens your market for sales, giving yourself the options of single picture and picture story sales. Research this before you leave but also use your eyes and ears while there to find stories the agencies could have missed or didn't have the time to look at.

Be fast Make sure you get your photographs to all the picture desks early and regularly every day. The news agencies are geared up to get pictures away first and usually do but its good for your name to be seen on picture desks for the future as well as the present. If you send regularly you will be seen as reliable which is very important to media organisations.

Get your pictures into picture agencies the same day so they can distribute your work immediately.

Equipment My advice is to keep it simple. Carry a minimum of two camera bodies with a wide and telephoto lens and leave a spare camera in the hotel. You will be moving fast so don't be cluttered with equipment but always have in mind one camera may get damaged or fail. Don't forget to take spare batteries and other essentials. You may not be able to pop into a shop for spares in the middle of a protest.

Ethics/Respect You are a photojournalist and your work must be objective, honest, and respectful.

Under no circumstances should your pictures be manipulated using tools such as Photoshop. Nothing added and nothing taken out is the rule. If you break it and are found out you would never work for any agency or media organization again.

Captions Be truthful. Make sure your picture captions are honest and not sensationalised, or exaggerated in any way.

Press accreditation Often your press card will not be enough and you will need government accreditation. Different countries have different rules so check in advance. This can take time in certain countries so give yourself plenty of time to apply.

Sierra Leone elections 2002

Safety: Risk assessment & safety equipment Research as much of the environment you will be walking into as possible. You have to do your own risk management.

A demonstration can start peacefully but soon erupt into violence with tear gas so you must be prepared physically, mentally and logistically. This means choosing trustworthy fixers, taxi drivers and contacts.

Most of this can be done before you go by contacting recently returned photographers and journalists, researching social media and news outlets. But if you can't spend time when you get there finding the right people. They can be invaluable and don't forget to budget for this.

If you are new to photojournalism, look and learn from those around you. Most experienced photographers will help with advice.

Though photographers are in competition to get the best picture, when the situation is dangerous there is an element of teamwork. Work in a team or at least pairs by doing this you can look out for each other.

Agency photographers will usually have vest
LINK: http://www.thomsonfoundation.org/latest/photojournalists-the-key-to-ge...
See more stories from thompsonfoundation

More from Thomson

15/03/2024

Connecting and training Sudanese journalists-in-exile

To help empower Sudanese journalists living in exile amidst the ongoing conflict in their homeland, Thomson trainers have been delivering workshops designed to ...

01/03/2024

Award winning young journalists get their mojo in London

MoJo is something I want to pursue further and include, not as a last thought, but as a one of the components of my daily work. Michelle Banda Vodacom Young Jo...

23/01/2024

Open Call: Executive Learning Programme For Media Professionals in the Western Balkans

A chance to apply for the new learning programme specifically designed for media...

16/01/2024

AI and Disinformation: why collaboration and culture change matter

This is a summary of the inaugural Thomson Talks with Madhav Chinnappa held on 30 November 2023, focused on the specific subject of AI/News & Disinformation. T...

22/12/2023

Enhancing minority representation in run-up to Pakistan s elections

Pakistan is one of more than 65 countries where decisive elections will take place in 2024 in what will be the biggest election year in history. Thomson Media ...

19/12/2023

Rwanda: High-impact investigative journalism celebrates success

An innovative investigative training programme for Rwandan journalists has resulted in the publication of 15 impactful stories which have prompted widespread ch...

18/12/2023

Head of Development: New role for Thomson

As 2023 draws to a close, a new chapter begins for Thomson with the appointment of a new member of the team. Anton Artemyev joins us in January in a new role a...

24/11/2023

In the news - media insights for Young Journalist finalists

The three finalists for the Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year 2023 enjoyed an action-packed trip to London which included meeting the Queen, visit...

21/11/2023

Yara El Murr wins Young Journalist Award 2023

Yara El Murr from Lebanon is Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist of the Year 2023. Yara received the honour at the Foreign Press Association Media Award...

17/11/2023

Yashraj Sharma: The 2022 YJA winner on a year of opportunity

Yashraj Sharma has seen big changes in his life since he won the Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award in 2022. In the run up to the 2023 winner being anno...

10/11/2023

Paris Charter on AI and Journalism unveiled

Thomson Foundation has joined 16 partner organisations to launch the Paris Charter on AI and Journalism'. The first of its kind, the charter defines crucia...

01/11/2023

Zuha Siddiqui, Young Journalist Award finalist 2023

Zuha Siddiqui from Pakistan is a labour and tech reporting fellow for the global non-profit publication Rest of World. She's one of three finalists nominate...

01/11/2023

Jamaima Afridi, Young Journalist Award finalist 2023

Jamaima Afridi is a freelance journalist based in north-west Pakistan on the edge of the Khyber Pass. Her stories focus on injustices faced by women and vulne...

01/11/2023

Yara El Murr, Young Journalist Award finalist 2023

Yara El Murr is a 25-year-old journalist and documentary filmmaker from Lebanon. She is a finalist in Thomson Foundations Young Journalist Award 2023. The awar...

01/11/2023

Announcing the 2023 Young Journalist Award finalists

Young journalists from more than 60 countries entered this years prestigious Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award 2023. Countries from across Africa, Asia...

26/10/2023

Investigative journalism exposes new scandals

The 2023 EU Award for Investigative Journalism has proven to be an exceptional showcase of talent, diversity and shifting journalistic priorities. More than 20...

16/10/2023

Thomson Foundation announces new trustees

Thomson Foundation is delighted to announce the appointment of two new members to its Board of Trustees - investment expert, author and former financial journal...

12/10/2023

Unique training courses to help create the definitive account of the Ukraine War

Some of the world's leading foreign correspondents and war crimes investigators have contributed to a set of major new training courses for journalists cove...

05/10/2023

Thomson joins Partnership on AI

Thomson Foundation is delighted to be one of five new organisations to join Partnership on AI. Thomson is now one of 114 partner organisations from around the ...

28/09/2023

Shortlist for Young Journalist Award 2023 revealed

An astonishing array of talented journalists from around the world have made it through to the shortlist for the Thomson Foundation Young Journalist Award 2023....

18/09/2023

Thomson Talks: Former Google director to lead Thomson Foundation Thought Leadership events.

Madhav Chinnappa, the former Director of News Ecosystem Development at Google an...

14/09/2023

Strengthening the media s role in promoting democracy

Thomson works with journalists in some of the toughest places in the world. Their work and livelihoods are frequently under threat. Thomson Foundation believes ...

05/09/2023

Disarming disinformation: piloting new proof technology

A pioneering system aimed at preventing the spread of disinformation and creating verifiable content from capture to publication is being road tested in a serie...

15/08/2023

Connect 6: The magic of mentoring

To mark the Thomson Foundation's 60th year of nurturing and training journalists globally, we matched six talented young journalists with six of the best in...

07/08/2023

Backing brave journalism in challenging places long-term

In the autumn of 2022, I was introduced to a young Afghan journalist in London. Zahra Joya had fled Kabul a year before as the Taliban swept through the city. A...

27/07/2023

Award winning inspiration from young journalists

Pursuing independent journalism is more important than ever. Right now, we are not just facing one or two crises. The crises that journalists are facing are not...

05/07/2023

From trainee to trainer: The man who brought Mojo to Sri Lanka

KC Saranga has trained more than 1,000 journalists, students and people in marginalised communities in Sri Lanka on how to tell stories using their mobile phone...

04/07/2023

Top quality entries for EU Investigative Journalism Award

A total of 267 applications from 7 countries, representing 125 media outlets and featuring a diverse group of authors (both individuals and groups), have been s...

03/07/2023

Young Journalist Award 2023 is open for entries

Since 2013 our Young Journalist Award has celebrated the outstanding young talent in the media profession. The award is an opportunity for those brilliant young...

28/06/2023

Transforming cultural journalism in the Western Balkans

A new project is underway in the Western Balkans to transform digital storytelling and engage public audiences with creative and culture-related content. Aroun...

19/06/2023

Reaching the million+ Ukrainian refugees in Germany

Staying informed about everyday life and events in Ukraine is crucially important for the refugees who have fled the war. By April 2023, 1.06 million Ukrai...

14/06/2023

Rwandan journalists awarded funds to support investigations

Equipped with new investigative journalism skills and financial support after recently completing a training programme, 15 Rwandan journalists are empowered to ...

22/05/2023

Unveiling a seminal course on AI ethics in the newsroom

The Thomson Foundation is proud to unveil a pioneering free, online training course designed to help newsrooms address a defining issue of the modern age: the e...

12/05/2023

60 years: Our alumni s stories

Sixty years after it was founded Thomson Foundation - now joined by the Berlin based Thomson Media, continues to innovate. Its blended approach to life-long lea...

09/05/2023

Investigative journalism competition Western Balkans and Trkiye

Journalists from Western Balkans countries and T rkiye are invited to submit their investigative stories for the EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2023. On...

06/05/2023

Media under siege: how journalists are being silenced.

The onslaught of false news against real news is unprecedented. In the Middle East, an alarming trend of people doubting published news is overwhelming, Mohamm...

04/05/2023

Why Moldova is ahead of Romania in Media freedom

This article is written by Vitalie Cojocari, a journalist and broadcaster with Euronews in Romania. He is a mentor for the Thomson Media project EU support for ...

26/04/2023

Connect 6: The power of mentoring

Three months after Thomson Foundation offered six young journalists a once-in-a-lifetime chance', its world-class mentoring programme Connect 6' is re...

25/04/2023

Let's hear it for audio

Despite reports to the contrary, radio isn't dead. In fact, not only has it been revived but its combined with its close cousins, the podcast and the long r...

25/03/2023

Finding their voice - the women bringing parity to Pakistan's media

To increase women's participation; these four words, written down in four seconds, in a proposal can take months, if not years to achieve. Especially, wh...

24/03/2023

Rwanda: developing a course for investigative journalists in Rwanda.

When I started out as an investigative journalist, there were few practising journalists in Kenya to learn from or manuals that I could read to sharpen my skill...

23/03/2023

Journalift: Access all languages

Journalists in the Western Balkans have been given access to free resources and training in their own languages thanks to a unique platform launched by Thomson ...

22/03/2023

Ukraine: collaboration in time of war

One million refugees have been welcomed into Germany since the Russian invasion who aside from being far from home have lost contact with their community and in...

21/03/2023

Building the Resilience and Relevance of independent media

Millions of people in Tajikistan have read, watched and listened to an extraordinary social media campaign which has clearly shown the population's hunger f...

08/03/2023

Valley Voices: Accessing women s voices

It's August in Pakistan and much of the country is underwater. Catastrophic flooding has killed hundreds, left millions homeless and destroyed infrastructur...

15/02/2023

She Leads Media: Bettina Fellowship scales up at Africa Media Festival

A strong, fearless and effective media, where talent is recognised and rewarded regardless of gender. That's the goal of She Leads Media: Bettina Fellowshi...

07/02/2023

Bad news for false news: how we re countering misinformation in Sudan

Our pioneering WhatsApp course is leading the way in training journalists and citizens to spot misinformation and disinformation in Sudan - a country targeted b...

03/02/2023

Valley Voices: Empowering women in rural Pakistan

The finale of the third Valley Voices project saw women journalists and writers gain confidence in writing about some of the more controversial topics facing wo...

23/01/2023

Connect 6: Thomson Foundation launches mentor programme

Take six of the brightest young journalists and connect them to six of the best in the industry and you have the recipe for Connect 6', a new, world-class ...

10/01/2023

Unique new course on the art of writing news analysis

You're a journalist and news breaks that Pele, arguably the greatest footballer the world has ever known, has died. A colleague in your newsroom is assigned...