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Monday, 16 November 2009

An Appeal from The Digital Journalist

From Dirck Halstead, dated yesterday:

Subject: An Important Letter to the Viewers of the Digital Journalist

I am afraid that the December issue of The Digital Journalist may be our final issue, at least for a while.

As many of you on our mailing list know, The Digital Journalist has been online producing our monthly magazine, about visual journalism, for 12 years. During that time we have presented the memorable work of some of the greatest photojournalists in the world, while offering opportunities for publication to many new photographers. Our columns and reviews have taken a 360-degree look at the industry, and predicted much of the upheaval that has taken place as the media around us have been buffeted by the shifting winds of technology, and now, a crippling economic downturn.

We have also sponsored over 37 Platypus Workshops around the world, which have taught photojournalists how to cope with and adapt to these industry changes.

Unfortunately, our principal sponsor, Canon, whose market has also been impacted by these turbulent times, has decided they can no longer afford to provide their financial backing to The Digital Journalist. We are very grateful for the generous support they have given us over the years.

Even before Canon's decision we were planning to reorganize. We are aware of how seriously a lot of our readers, who make their living from photojournalism, have been hit by the recession through the failures and cutbacks of countless publications, magazines and newspapers, as well as TV and cable. Our reorganization goal is not only to continue publishing The Digital Journalist, but to provide funding in order to send photographers out into the world to do their work, documenting the important stories that shape our lives and history.

Such an ambitious undertaking requires serious fundraising efforts on our part.

So we are asking you, our loyal readers, numbering more than 10,000, to help us raise these funds. Effective immediately, we have set up a PayPal link on The Digital Journalist and urgently ask for your pledges so that we can continue the work which will help us all. We have never solicited paid subscriptions, but these dire times call for dire measures.

If you value The Digital Journalist, this is the time to step up and make a pledge. If enough people do, we may be able to keep The Digital Journalist—and video journalism—alive. Consider it as an investment in yourself, and the future.

Thank you all for your loyalty over the past years. We appreciate your continued support, and look forward to seeing you on the Web.

Sincerely,

Dirck Halstead
Editor and Publisher

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Posted at 10:17 AM in News and Occasions | Permalink

Comments

The Digital Journalist is one of my must read sites along with TOP.

I've made my donation.

Posted by: John A. Stovall | Monday, 16 November 2009 at 10:36 AM

Hell and damnation.

Hell and damnation.

This profession has become so comoditised and misunderstood it's really unbearable. A daily here in Zagreb let go four photographers the other day. They expect their journalists to take photos alongside the usual work. "Everybody can push a button." Right?

I wonder what will Canon and other manufacturers do if such things continue in even greater numbers. Where will they find the market for more advanced and professional cameras? Will the journalists cum photographers lug a Mark IV or D3x or even a 50D or D300 plus a ton of lenses with them? Yeah, right.

Instead of trying to maintain and market a high level of professionalism, as soon as a financial problem occurs, newspaper owners immediately search for the lowest common denominator that will make it possible for them to maintain their profits. I can guarantee that it will only lead to further decline. Why would anybody pay for the lowest common denominator when they can get it for free on the Internet?

Posted by: erlik | Monday, 16 November 2009 at 10:48 AM

I'm imagining the great wheel in the sky I imagined by in July '08 when I found out the newspaper I was working for was closing.
Simultaneously, my "membership" with the photojournalism association ran out, at the end of that month.
Soon, I was getting emails saying it was time to renew. They became more insistent and frequent.
Finally, I had to email a representative and say that since I was no longer working full-time that I could not afford "membership" (at $120) which amounts to a magazine (that never features my work), and the ability to post on the message board...plus access to the job bank. It was suggested that more than ever I needed my membership for networking. I suggested that those with proven professional track records and a membership history should be extended access to the job bank (maybe for a short time) until work can be procured.
Nope. Show us the money and you can play with us again.
If I'm not working, I cannot afford to pay for net working. ...that's the shape of things for the little people that shoot little photos for little newspapers.

Posted by: Marty McAuliff | Monday, 16 November 2009 at 12:29 PM

Undoubtedly I may be very naive or have an unrealistic opinion of my own skills.

However several years ago I made an appointment with the dept. head of photography in my local museum because I had started a photo project on people in Northern Ireland. The museum has several large collections mostly made up of the work of photographers who took photos (posed) for use to sell postcards in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Often stilted and formulaic work which now is of interest because it is old.

I asked if they were interested in more current documentation done in an organised fashion about ordinary life.

Their answer was no they had no money and anyway it would be another 50 years before they knew what photographs they would value!

I asked where would the photos documenting daily life come from. Their answer "Attics and such". I suggested that meant that huge areas of ordinary life would go unrecorded if no systematic approach was taken. The professional curators said nothing.

They just renovated the building. Cost £17,000,000 ($28,000,000).

Their parting words "Would you be sure to bequeath your photographs to the museum in your will".

With no postcard collections and newspaper photographers a dying breed I reckon there will be a famine of quality images. Am I too cynical in thinking that that will not be a concern to the current curators. Maybe they will just search Flickr and make do with what they can get but I see that as a very third rate solution.

Posted by: Louis McCullagh | Monday, 16 November 2009 at 02:04 PM

Until Mike made comment, had never heard of the Digital Journalist. It has an amazing track record. And as had been noted, Canon had until recently supported the on-line publication. Guess I should pitch in my two cents worth of foreign currency.

And maybe even the mailing list?

Posted by: Bryce Lee in Burlington, Ontario Canada | Monday, 16 November 2009 at 03:37 PM

Dirck Halstead was kind enough to feature my work as a South African a few years ago in The Digital Journalist, and his online magazine is a work that deserves every bit of support in a field dominated by consumer magazines in a glossy world where advertisers don't want to see the sick, oppressed and poor next to their oh-so-perfect photoshopped advertising.

I don't get that much work in dollar terms these days I'm afraid, but I'll be sure to send the proceeds of my next job across the ocean to the Digital Journalist. Bravo, Dirck, I hope you are able to keep the lighthouse burning.

Posted by: Peter Bendheim | Monday, 16 November 2009 at 03:48 PM

I'll make a pledge. I think the Digital Journalist is an important voice in a world where photojournalism is being strangled by lack of funds for non-compliant photographers.

Mike

Posted by: Mike | Monday, 16 November 2009 at 06:23 PM

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