Freelance Photojournalists Redefine Their Work

Perspectives on a Precarious Field

Bibliographic Data

ID12908687
AuthorsAndrea Hudson (University of Georgia, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume19
Issue5
Pages939-956
Publication date2023-06-12
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournalism Practice (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1751-2786 • E-ISSN: 1751-2794
PublisherTaylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/17512786.2023.2223189
OpenAlexW4380360501
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited33

With the digitization of news, media organizations are downsizing or removing their photo departments completely, and freelance work has become the norm for photojournalists. This increasingly precarious profession, where photojournalists go from assignment to assignment, is facing a repositioning. As scholars, it is important to understand how those working in this space conceptualize their work and its role in media and society. Doing so will help scholars better understand the evolving nature of visual communication labor. This study utilizes in-depth interviews with 14 freelance photojournalists to better understand how they view their job and its role in democracy. Analysis shows that photojournalists are reconceptualizing the field they work in, including the ethical codes that have historically guided it. These findings show the ethical consequences of the freelance-reliant business model in the field of photojournalism

Art · Democracy · Digitization · Field (mathematics · Journalism · Media studies · Photography · Photojournalism · Political science · Public relations · Sociology · Telecommunications · Visual arts · Work (physics · Cultural Industries and Urban Development · Engineering · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Law · Media Studies and Communication