Contemporary Photojournalism Issues Project
Photojournalism & Racial Injustice
The contemporary photojournalism issue I chose would be the topic of racial injustice and how it has had a major impact on photojournalism in current times. The topic of racial injustice can be sensitive, uncomfortable and sad at times but overall needs to be addressed. Photojournalists help in addressing the problem by spreading awareness through the different meaningful photographs that tell a story of what is happening around the world. From movements that impacted the past generations like civil rights to in today's time with Black Lives Matter shows how this issue is very much still a problem.
The creative format above I chose to use for my contemporary photojournalism issues project is a digital collage. I chose to speak on the issue of photojournalism and racial injustice due to it having an impact on me inside of this class but as well as outside. Photojournalism and racial injustice go hand in hand due to the many reported images of photojournalists taking images for movements like Black Lives Matter. Photojournalist put many things on the line including their life when they report and taking meaningful images of many different social topics. I think photojournalism and racial injustice movements play an important role in the United States with situations like George Floyd making a statement. When I put this collage together, I wanted to show not just the drastic impact racial injustice and photojournalism had on the Black community, but instead multiple different ethnic groups. I chose a digital collage via Canva to capture not just photojournalist taking pictures of movements but to see the interactions between law enforcement and the person behind the camera.
In my research I found the connections between photojournalism and racial injustice through many ways such as photojournalist showing the reality of oppression and discrimination. Them bringing awareness shows off the strong connection they have behind such a meaningful contemporary issue that needs more awareness. In some ways, photojournalists helped to create a stronger message in letting other people know about these social issues in the United States with certain movements like Black Lives Matter. In the article, "Documenting Racial Injustice as a Black Photojournalist" from The University of Texas at Austin states, "I not only had to mentally prepare myself for the grief I was about to witness but I also had to determine how, as an outsider, I would do my part to document this grieving family with as much compassion as possible." This was critical while doing my research since I wanted to shed light on the photojournalist experience especially a Black photojournalist.
Being able to do my research and thinking about the issue first without incorporating pictures is what I needed to get the full picture. Now when incorporating my images I see the multiple aspects of racial injustice and photojournalism. In my collage I have 4 images that show the different pictures photojournalist took of movements for BLM such as with George Floyd. The other 2 pictures show off a photojournalist and a cop putting his hand out to the camera. I thought all these pictures had significance since it made me think of the different parties involved and what is sacrificed to get these images out to the public.
When conducting my research, I wanted to hear the viewpoints of a photojournalist and how he viewed showing up to different movements. In the video, he makes the point that he felt as if he was the one on the ground like George Floyd. As a photojournalist he says he tries extra hard to come out the house looking the part because of what can happen as a Black man. He goes further into detail explaining how law enforcement has threatened to give him citations and take the card out his camera just for doing his work. This is exactly what I wanted to spread awareness more about since even as a Black photojournalist you don't get the same respect even when you are trying to do your work and take meaningful images. He has had to endure through many obstacles that involves law enforcement. The Statesman photojournalist also makes it known that even though he can't voice what he wants to say to his opposers, the different people at the protests always do it for him and he uses his camera to express how he feels deeper.
Overall, in my research project I have incorporated creativity with my collage but also knowledge that shows the significance between photojournalism and racial injustice through ways such as images and a video viewpoint from a photojournalist. More awareness should be brought up on the subject for what both happens at movements and what photojournalists have to endure especially photojournalists that are Black and get looked down upon.
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