The Chicago Sun-Times, one of the nation’s largest and most respected newspapers, has almost entirely eliminated its employed photography staff.
Is the newspaper cutting out photos altogether? Not by a long shot. Instead, the publication wants its staff reporters to begin shooting photos and video themselves – something altogether possible in the modern mobile age.
Given that many of today’s leading devices – including the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Apple’s iPhone 5 – capture print-quality high-resolution images, the need for traditional photographers and photojournalists is quickly fading.
Whether one agrees with this reality or not is moot. It’s happening.
“The Sun-Times business is changing rapidly and our audiences are consistently seeking more video content with their news,” the publication announced Thursday.
“We have made great progress in meeting this demand and are focused on bolstering our reporting capabilities with video and other multimedia elements,” the statement continued. “The Chicago Sun-Times continues to evolve with our digitally savvy customers, and as a result, we have had to restructure the way we manage multimedia, including photography, across the network.”
