Photojournalism

Photojournalism is events, news or stories delivered to society by photos. As Professor Nordell reported: think of it as two different words, photo and journalist. The journalists are also photographers and deliver news via their photos.  This concept of splitting up the word photojournalism helps shape the definition, it supports the thought that journalist tell the news via photos. By capturing events with photos, it is documenting history.

According to Merriam-Webster photojournalism is defined as “journalism in which written copy is subordinate to pictorial usually photographic presentation of news stories or in which a high proportion of pictorial presentation is used.” Merriam-Webster interprets photojournalism as journalism specific to photos and it being better than the written word.

The history of photojournalism is directly related to how important history is to our world. Without photojournalism we may not know all the history of the world, photojournalists have brought to society the pictures of history. Photos have brought history to life, and it has brought knowledge of the world to society. According to Holli Pearson’s video: History is… “history is humanity”. To understand history, look at the photos. It is important to know the history of photojournalism and in return you will understand history.

Through photos the story of WWI is told, without the photojournalists the events may have not been a part of documented history. WWI is of specific interest to me, as it is not in my era. WWI was tragic and devastating, the photos bring the tragedy and war to life. Below are photos taken in battle during WWI. 

Photo credit: Rfdarsie

Photo source: http://historyinphotos.blogspot.com/2012/05/world-war-i-ctd.html

Photo credit: Maiden on the Midway

Photo source: https://warriorgirl3.wordpress.com/2014/07/02/unpublished-photos-what-wwi-trench-warfare-really-looked-like/