Poynter.org | NPPA.org
An easy option would be to have one photographer, from a select group of news outlets, document the White House event and then share the images with other news outlets. But photojournalists tell Steve Myers they oppose that approach for still images, saying it limits photographers’ storytelling options and creativity.
If the White House moves to a pool, said Doug Mills, White House photographer for The New York Times, “we are taking one step forward — we get live coverage — and four steps backward — we will lose four photographers from the room. “
He continued, “We clearly lose out in terms of perspective. There will be no wide shots or risk-taking, for that matter.”
National Press Photographers Association president Sean Elliot says of photo re-enactments:
The reality is that regardless of caption disclaimers, a photo of a faked speech is a fake photo. And it’s about time we saw this practice ended. This administration, which promised to be the most transparent in history, should live by that declaration and work with the news media to establish practices that allow independent journalists access to events.
