Concluding Chapter

I was inspired by Margaret Bourke-White "Rosie the Riveter" photographs because my husband is an ironworker.  The history of photojournalism has shared the history of ironworkers along with many other wonderful topics across the world. According to Rosie the Riveter Oral Histories article, " The demands of a wartime labor market made it more acceptable for women to take on jobs in manufacturing, utilities, and transport that in peacetime had mostly been done by men."  I traveled to my husband's job sites to live the life of a photojournalist and captured photographs of ironworkers building history. Unfortunately, there were not any female ironworkers there on site as it still is a demanding trade.

Welding Tire Rims

Photograph by: Margaret Bourke-White

Year Created: 1933

high school in the making

Photographs by: Mechealea Giordano

Year Created: 2019

 MGM 

Photograph By: Mechealea Giordano

MGM 

Photograph By: Mechealea Giordano

Amusement Park

Photograph By:  Husband Mario Giordano for safety

Year Created: 2019

The history of photojournalism continues to evolve with technological advances. I don’t think I truly realized the barriers photojournalist have encountered overtime taking photographs in the beginning of this course as I do now. Although, reflecting to Module Two I believe I had a thorough understanding of the definition of photojournalism. It’s a form of communication through photography to spread awareness. During Matthew Brady’s era, photojournalist had to lug around bulky equipment with the hopes of capturing a quality photograph, steering clear of the battlefield. Whereas, today photojournalist can keep their camera in their pocket and see what their photograph will look like instantly. The dangerous situations they encounter has put many photojournalist lives at risk and some have even lost their life In addition according to NPPA Code of Ethics, "As visual journalists, we have the responsibility to document society and to preserve its history In other words, .photojournalist image is a frozen moment in history that we can refer back to decades later like we are now.

I like it’s very important to educate people on photojournalism. There's meaning behind photojournalism that is beyond photography in journals. Some photojournalist are the back bone to news agencies. News agencies are competing against each other to provide the most recent news possible to viewers. Photojournalist are willing to risk their life by capturing brief moments of an event of a larger story to aware and educate the public. Sadly, after overcoming technologic disadvantages photojournalism is a dying breed. People all over the world are taking pictures with their phones and sharing photographs within seconds are considered civilian photojournalist. Some believe it is nice to have extra eyes to expose neglect and wrong doing as it has brought justice to many. However, Technology Photojournalism in the Age of New Media states, "social media have given photojournalists a million extra eyes in conflict zones. But if a picture can say a thousand words, the trick is finding the right one." Often civilian photojournalist are violating the code of ethics in photojournalism by mispresenting the truth spreading false and biased information. According to Jared Keller, "we want images that stand the test of time," Applewhite explained. "Snapshots and photos taken by camera phones are not things we can come back to learn from and understand something deeper." Photojournalist have skills, integrity, empathy to concisely capture moments in history to inform societies.

A few "Ah-ha moments I've encountered were during creating the technological timeline knowing how easy life is for us today with a touch of a button. The process it took to even take one photograph, not to mention how long it takes to develop one with a daguerreotype or the wet colloid process. A photojournalist job wasn't even completed after printing a photograph. They then had to transmit a photograph via train, boat, or a plane to get the image published. As years past, technology evolved allowing photographs to be transmitted from minutes to hours through telephone lines.

We've had some phenomenal females dominate the male role in photojournalism as well. Hansel Mieth and Margaret Bourke- White, first female photojournalist for LIFE. Dorothea Lange, who is cherished in the National Women's Hall of Fame and widely known for her photographs during the Great Depression. Each of these photojournalists had a vision to share their love for photography as visual messages to share historical events and hope someone will step up and make a difference. Today, female photojournalist continue to be successful. Nicole Tung to me shares all the qualities of Lange, Mieth and Bourke. She's an empathetic photojournalist who's won multiple awards. According to International Women's Foundation, "Her images on Native American War Veterans was awarded by the Society of Professional Journalists for Best Online Reporting, and the Image and Voices of Hope Award of Appreciation (2015). For her work on the migration crisis in 2015, she received the Human Rights Press Awards in Hong Kong" She's like Mieth because she fits in with the people she photographs having dinner at their tables. Whereas, she sheds light on migrant lifestyles like Lange. Lastly, Bourke and Tung are war photojournalist. International Women's Foundation quotes Nicole Tung, "as a photojournalist covering conflict and socio-political issues, documenting the most exposed and vulnerable people – in both chaos and quiet – is not only a responsibility one has as a photographer, but as a human. I chose to focus on civilians in conflict in my images as a reminder that those most affected by war are not the ones making political decisions or holding the guns, but those who are powerless in the face of a situation they did not choose.”

Certainly, photographs change the world as they have been for decades. Photojournalist have been shedding light on what some may find unethical due to graphic details, and emotions the image has portrayed. These photographs have exposed child labor, migrant workers, impact of war, natural disasters and many other crises to aid and change the lives in harm way. Even if viewers are not able to physically make a difference by these images, it still leaves heavy impacts seeing people all around the world in despair creating awareness. Each of these moments that were shared are history. Without photojournalism, what would we have to rely on to share some form of truth?