New Skills, Coming Soon.

By: Sailor Mayes

With my last semester of college, I decided to enroll in a course that is three credits. This class would fulfill my degree, and its name is Photojournalism. I entertained the thought that this class would be a breeze and I would learn a few things here and there, but would focus mainly on my other classes. Surprisingly, I enjoy this course a lot.

While growing up I had a variety of professions I wanted to take on and they all had to do with the interaction with people. Forensic Anthropologist, Detective, Biologist, Photographer, and Cowgirl. Photojournalism caught my eye during registration of the last couple of months of school in my lifetime. I thought, why not involve myself in something that can enhance my love for people and photography.

Within the first couple of weeks in this class we were asked to design a rough draft of a website to promote ourselves to employers. Strange.. I thought, until I realized something extremely important. I realized we needed to tell our story to others, as this would be similar to a news story...but about myself.

While reading chapter 1 of Inside Reporting, I found it fascinating how Benjamin Harris (a disruptive individual) produced a single issue of a newspaper called "Publick Occurrences" and tried to become America’s first newspaper. What struck me immediately was the butterfly effect and the “Publick Occurrences,” as this subjective work within newspapers could have changed the trajectory of the United States of America before its’ independence. It fascinates me how the butterfly effect has landed us here in the U.S.A. today, and how a singular failure to obtain a printing license led to America’s first newspaper to be shut down. Maybe the butterfly effect of creating a website for myself will help me obtain a job rather than being shut down by employers. Ha.

The parts that make up a newspaper such as the infographic, liftout quote, and teaser have become eye-catchers to the public, and it is extremely important where these parts are placed within a page. According to Inside Reporting chapter 2, “When it comes to web content, news organizations are still trying to find the most efficient way to produce material (...)” This efficiency in my opinion can cause a lot of damage to the public, as the constant flow of information is too much for an individual to handle; Especially if that individual has paper news and online news on their devices. The constant inflow of information from a multitude of news companies has the public depressed, anxious, and hopeless. Especially hearing devastating news from all across the planet. Before the internet, paper news allowed the individual to take it all in during a few sessions, whereas now, information from around the world has embedded itself in our brains, creating stress.

"The News is accidentally warping our perception of reality-- and not necessarily for the better." Zaria Gorvett: Senior Journalist at BBC Future

While people can read newspapers and view the picture in their imagination, images within these newspapers can create an entirely different perception. Humans are natural storytellers and having photojournalism has been a key aspect in engaging those with a story that is on the other side of the planet or just a few miles away. According to Jessica Sterwart within her article, “The History of Photojournalism. How Photography Changed the Way We Receive News,” “Using images to communicate the news, photojournalism has shaped the way we view the world since the mid-19th century.” This change has provoked riots, peaceful; demonstrations, understanding, divisiveness, etc. The power of an image can create a ton of expressions, emotions, and motives. Images do not need text, as an individual can gather information from an image and produce their own conclusions. Oftentimes, this can become a dangerous game with the press and public.

I want to learn the skills to become a better photojournalist. To take pictures that people can relate and have emotions towards. Reading these chapters and this article have helped me understand what I need to do regarding my photography, and how to influence my viewer in a positive way. I am tired of the negative focal point and I want to display the tiny joys within life. This website is about me and written for others. Hopefully this website will effectively retain its original intention of promotion and positivity.

Attribute:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200512-how-the-news-changes-the-way-we-think-and-behave

https://mssantillanesdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/inside-reporting.pdf