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Journalism is all about advertising, i.e., page views and publications sold. This is one of the hottest topics in the U.S. right now. Nobody likes dry analysi
by dkarl 16y ago
Journalism is all about advertising, i.e., page views and publications sold.
This is one of the hottest topics in the U.S. right now.
Nobody likes dry analysis; everyone is eager for a quick, vivid, and emotionally compelling way to engage with the story.
Therefore, if you publish more and better pictures than the competition, you'll attract more (non-)readers and make more money.
- jrwoodruff 16y agoSure advertising pays the bills, but you don't think big media knows this? The truth is real news is less and less profitable. Reporting a story like this takes big resources - huge resources if you really want to break a new lede. Ultimately, shooting 100 high school basketball games for zoned publications and a s#%t ton of photo galleries is cheaper and will sell more ads. After all, what company wants their ad next to a photo of a dying, oil-covered bird.
- jbooth 16y agoStill doesn't add up. You're talking about a huge expenditure and significant personal risk in order to hopefully be a viral hit and not just be scooped and republished. Even then, you have to get lucky and pick up an iconic photo, it's not like you're going to find a bunch of great prose in the ocean besides synonyms for "lots of gallons". Why pursue this story instead of one that's much cheaper and will get you only a fewer impressions on average?
- dkarl 16y agoIf the photographers are already in the region racking up travel expenses and trying to charter private planes, expense isn't the problem.