Internet best place for photojournalists' pics

The internet has taken journalism to new heights not only in terms of editorial content, but also in terms of how stories are being covered. The internet has created a demand not only for speed in journalism, but also a demand for visual stories as well. With a growing interest in the visual story behind the editorial one, journalists are finding the internet as the best news outlet to publish visuals that may or may not accompany a larger piece as seen in MSNBC's The Week in Pictures and Yahoo's version, The Week in Photos.

Why photojournalism is better on the web

It is not complicated to see why pictures are better suited on the internet than in any print publication. It comes down to the simple fact that size, does indeed, matter.

The internt is able to supply a limitless amount of space to publish the work of photojournalists without the worry of cramping an advetisor's paid spot in a newspaper. Photojournalists are granted the freedom of choosing multiple pictures to include in a piece, and even have the option of developing a series in addition to publishing their work in color.

Take today's front page of The Los Angeles Times print edition for instance. In the bottom right hand corner of the front page is a story about Metrolink. The front page has no pictures and is placed at the bottom of the page where it barely grabs the readers attention before flipping onto the next page. The online edition of the same story, however, offers a little more excitement and room to display the photojournalists work.

What makes web photojournalism great?

That's easy; accesbility and variation.

Web photojournalism allows for internet news consumers to pick and choose the photos they want to see, when they want to see them, and how they want to view them.

Jumping from news site to news site, photos are presented very differently, but with the same concept in mind: keep it short and keep it simple.

MSNBC's Week in Pictures offers their visitors the option of choosing an audio track with a select slide show, or simply clicking through the pictures while Yahoo's The Week in Photos struggles to keep pace with it's simple slide show of less sophiscated pictures. This is particulary seen in the two media outlets' coverage of the Paralympic Games in Beijing. While MSNC takes a very personal approach attaching the handicap with a person, Yahoo uses an image that disattaches the disability with the person. In addition to these specific example, shown through photographs below, MSNBC takes a more global approach to their news photographs while Yahoo chooses to take a domestic perspective.

Bottom Line

When it comes to photojournalism, the internet takes the prize. The internet can provide an unlimited amount of resources to photojournalists to improve and publish their pictures that print news outlets just simply can't afford - in time or space. So when push comes to shove, the internet gets the final say, and often first, say in photojournalism.