Comments on: Sad and tragic stories, and photojournalism

By: Teaching Online Journalism » Moving away from sad and tragic stories

Teaching Online Journalism » Moving away from sad and tragic stories — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:40:55 +0000

[...] Romenesko highlighted this Washington Post column by Howard Kurtz today. It immediately reminded me of a post I wrote in April: Sad and tragic stories, and photojournalism. [...]

By: Mindy McAdams

Mindy McAdams — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:02:00 +0000

@Chris - Thanks for the link to the talk by Ira Glass. I always recommend his storytelling videos on YouTube to journalism students: Storytelling, Ira Glass and a few thoughts

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:25:27 +0000

Inspire. Inform. Entrust. In that order. There’s a shift of attention that takes place, that captivates, something unexpected, surprising. Then the message is delivered, and then you let it go. The viewer has final say.

Taste. You can only report what you see. Ira Glass sees more than most, asks more intelligent questions. His talk at the Gel Conference (http://vimeo.com/3148368) admits that his staff are people of taste, choosing topics and approaches that will resonate with subjects. Season Two of TAL DVD (via iTunes as well) pulls much out of the mundane or unnoticed. It’s just harder to see.

By: Stephanie Klein-Davis

Stephanie Klein-Davis — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:13:31 +0000

Mindy,
Although this story is very well documented (great access/trust)and well produced by top professionals (music; audio, blank slides, text, help tell the story)
I’ve thought the same thoughts as you for years. As a photojournalist for over 25 years, I’m trying to move away from stories of desperation unless I feel I can show some kind of solution..or hope of solution/resolution. I also think it’s easier to get stories of despair because these are people at their most vulnerable. My goal is to try to find important stories with different themes, now. Yes, I’ve covered ALS (Lou Gehrig’s to its bitter end, Cancer, AIDs, other rare diseases) I just think to sustain readership..we have to find more uplifting stories that celebrate life & death rather than bury us alive. With so many younger people working at newspapers, these sad stories are new to them. I think it’s important to be careful how we teach photojournalism. I had one student say to the class during a presentation, if you want to win the World Press Organization Photo competition, you basically have to go to a warzone or a third world country where everyone is starving and shoot depressing pictures in black and white. This is their impression. And, frankly, they’re right. Personally, I’d rather shoot for Conde Nast! Because pretty places are newsworthy, too.

By: Robin Donovan

Robin Donovan — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:10:22 +0000

From a nonprofit standpoint, you never tell a story that is 100% sad. Why? Because nobody gives money to a sad homeless guy. They give money to a sad homeless guy who’s turning his life around. Or they see a story of one hopeless person who inexplicably escaped addiction or an abused/abusive history, and they realize that there is hope in helping the next one.

I don’t know about journalism for telling the world the way it is. Like you say, not new = not news, but isn’t much of what we do every day not new? I assume that the news I read is biased, because I assume it was written by a person.

I agree that there are too many stories consisting of nothing more than a “sad homeless” person.

By: Sandy Olson

Sandy Olson — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:02:35 +0000

I agree. Tragedy comes to each of us in its time. We all recognize it. It feels like exploitation for financial gain or career points to always put the camera in the middle of it. If the story needs to be told to draw the world’s attention to a genocide or an untold crime then, yes, tell the story but tell it true.
I loved the story of the farmer and the suburbans. It was real. It was thoughtful and it required honest digging to get at the true story and a light touch to bring it home.

By: reid vanvoris

reid vanvoris — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 23:11:57 +0000

I think journalism as a profession carries a heavy responsibility. I think the true pros who practice it understand this. As is pointed out in this article by Jay Rosen over at http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/weblogs/pressthink/, it’s not just the responsibility of the journalist to report the world as it is, but also to analyze and evaluate what’s being reported on in a balanced and responsible way. In other words, to report the truth. I also think it should be the responsibility of journalists to report on possible solutions, or at a minimum to go the extra mile by providing info to enable their audience to further understand or even to act.

For example, news consumers obviously do not have the resources or the time to go to Iraq, so reporters tell them what’s happening there. It’s the reporters responsibility to filter the various spins, propoganda, and media manipulation to result in a truthful story about what’s really going on. It would also be good if some info could be provided about what to do about it. Viewers could decide their own level of action or inaction.

The same could be said for cancer stories, or homeless, or domestic violence. I don’t think it’s enough to just report the world as it is, and in fact, this could even, and I emphasize, IN SOME CASES, be seen as exploiting difficult or tragic circumstances. Consider Hurricane Katrina coverage. Could not even more info have been given about how to donate, volunteer, or otherwise help?

Even a story on a bus wreck or house fire could include info on how to donate to funds to help the victims or support the first repsonders. This is especially true in the age of Web 2.0. Viewers can easily get involved to help, if they just know how.

Today’s journalists should take on the responsibility of going the extra step to provide info to their audience regarding further research, greater involvement, and even direct help regarding their story subjects .

By: Christopher Ave

Christopher Ave — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:10:18 +0000

By the way, I have seen the piece — and I loved it. It offers a window into lives that few of us, thank God, actually experience. So I’m not at all critical of the project. I’m just questioning our almost reflexive attraction to such stories.

By: Christopher Ave

Christopher Ave — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:09:03 +0000

Mindy,

I think you ask an excellent question relevant not only to photojournalists but to all journalists. So often we are attracted to the stories of “the underclass.” And yes, those stories must be told; I still believe part of our mandate is to “give voice to the voiceless.”

However…..

Many if not most of our readers live in the great gray middle, that daily slog through life. They are trying to navigate huge economic and social change while keeping themselves and their families afloat. Can’t we best serve them by:

1. Telling THEIR stories?
2. Helping THEM better navigate their lives?
3. Keeping their leaders accountable?

By: Mindy McAdams

Mindy McAdams — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:38:04 +0000

@Anthony Salveggi – I would beg to differ on this point. I am as voyeuristic as the next person when it comes to strange-but-true stuff, even if it is distasteful or ugly.

The thing about dying-people stories, and sad homeless and/or addicted people stories, is there is nothing strange or unusual about them. There are dozens of them in every PJ contest. Except for the individuals, they are not very different from one another.

Therefore I ask, what is the point?

Nothing new = not news!