D.C. Day 5

Friday September 23, 2011

So today was the last day of our trip. We started out at NPR, then headed to Reuters, and last was the Washington Post where we met with RIT alumni, Megan Rossman.

At NPR, we attended their morning meeting where they basically went around a conference room table and each editor(or a person from each section of the website) told everyone their ideas for the day/weekend(since it was Friday). There was someone from art, music, the homepage, the UN, and some multimedia interns.

After the meeting, Emily Bogle(RIT 2011 graduate) walked us to her desk, told us a little bit about her position at NPR and how she got there. Keith Jenkins then told us who everyone else in the multimedia department was, and they each said how they got there as well. There were two multimedia interns, and Emily who is a temp, which is the next step up after interning. There were two multimedia producers as well. And there were two photographers, one of which we got to meet, David Gilkey.

Gilkey talked to us about his position at NPR as a photojournalist and why he ended up there.

NPR

“It’s a real opportunity to create visual tradition at a radio organization,” said Keith Jenkins.

The biggest challenge is radio people dealing with visuals. Multimedia work is probably the most abundant.

Potential intern:

What it takes to be an editor

Good background, well-rounded, journalism

Good head on your shoulders

People who are a little different as far as interests and backgrounds

Genuine interest and understanding of NPR

The State Impact Project’s goal is to keep people in engages in government.

Freelancers

95% of reporters is radio staff

use wires

what makes really good audio? VERY IMPORTANT

David Gilkey

-need to work well with reporter ex. Capturing sound, can’t photograph while they are recording audio. Need to stay out of each others way

-where can you apply video? Always need to be thinking about that as well as sound

-you have to know it all! Stills, audio, video/finalcut

-understand radio

-be organized, prepared, always have your camera!

-Can you go to something boring like a council meeting and make a good picture?

-know exactly what your picture is going to look like

-know exposures-know your composition-know the photo before you take it!

Reuters

In comparison to other wires, Reuters is the most neutral towards everyone, everywhere. They are always telling stories in the most factual and unbiased way that they can.

“It’s about ethics and professionalism,” said Reuters Chief Photographer Terry Bochatey.

Communication is key, which is something we have heard at almost every place we have visited. You need to be able to communicate not only with subjects and stories you are working on, but also your editors.

Video is the future, we have been hearing it everywhere we go, as well as back at school. You won’t get a job without it seems to be the common phrase. I’m okay with this though because I think it’s a great thing to know and understand video. I recently took a video workshop where I learned the basics and it’s brought me a long way.

It’s much easier for skilled photographers to transition to videographers than it is vice versa.

The key is to get yourself noticed. Get your name out there, your work, be noticed, especially by the right people. It takes patience, but you can’t be afraid to promote yourself. It’s okay to fail, as long as you realize why/what led you there.

The Washington Post

The Post was pretty cool. The newsroom was a lot nicer looking than others we had seen, it was circular, open and inviting and the people were friendly.

Some things we were told we must do to get out in the real world as photojournalists;

Work on portfolio, non stop

Take advantage of shooting fun things, college students get some of the best access, use it!

Edit all the junk out of your portfolio, you're only as good as your worse image

Constantly be taking photos and working, it is the only way to get better

and lastly, BRING YOUR CAMERA EVERYWHERE YOU GO, you never know when something will happen right in front of you