A picture may or may not be worth a thousand words, but sometimes a picture can capture the character and personality of an individual, or the spirit and essence of a situation better than even the most talented writer. Photojournalism is a key feature of print journalism and refers to the craft of employing photographic storytelling to document these aspects of life and life itself. Consisting mainly of photographs to convey the meaning of an article with supplementary written copy, photojournalism attempts to document the important political and social issues that affect our world. Photojournalists seek to show these images to a wide audience and to influence our awareness and understanding of events, most often through news media and periodicals.

Over the years pictures have revealed truths and changed the public’s perception of war and conflict, as with Nick Ut’s famous ‘girl in the photo’ depicting the Vietnam War. Other enduring images include the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963; the first moon landing in 1969; the various images of Princess Diana; and the images of the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers. More recently, amateur pictures by US and British soldiers torturing Iraqi POWs that emerged shocked the world and again emphasised the powerful impact of still images.

More notes on photojournalism.

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