Donald Trump Actually Likes Journalists, but Only if They're Holding Cameras

Donald Trump Actually Likes Journalists, but Only if They're Holding Cameras

While it seems that Donald Trump is engaged in a war of words with just about everyone at times, from China, to members of congress, to his favorite target, the media, there’s one group he’s heaped a lot of praise upon lately: photographers.

It takes some amount of obsession with one’s image to rise to the level of president. While some presidents, such as Ronald Reagan, were great at the art of the photo opportunity, Trump hasn’t always been able to translate his success as an actor on television into excellent photography. Initially, portraits and candid White House photography seemed rather slapdash. More recently, however, the White House Flickr page has seen more professionally done candid and posed photos.

That doesn’t mean Trump doesn’t welcome more free exposure from the media, however. While reporters can be hard-pressed to get answers to their questions, photojournalists working the current White House seem to agree that they have more and better opportunities for photos than they’ve had in years past. Trump even continues to participate in a yearly White House News Photographers Association awards dinner while continuing to spurn the White House Correspondents’ Association fundraising dinner. It’s even been noted that Donald Trump’s favorite photo appears to be surrounded by visitors while sitting at the resolute desk.

Does Trump have a favorite photographer? It would seem so, and that photographer would be New York Times photographer Doug Mills, a veteran photojournalist who has covered many administrations.

What do you think of the photojournalists covering the president? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Wasim Ahmad's picture

Wasim Ahmad is an assistant teaching professor teaching journalism at Quinnipiac University. He's worked at newspapers in Minnesota, Florida and upstate New York, and has previously taught multimedia journalism at Stony Brook University and Syracuse University. He's also worked as a technical specialist at Canon USA for Still/Cinema EOS cameras.

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17 Comments

Donald Trump loves Donald Trump and nobody else.

not true. he REALLY loves his daughter Ivanka.

Hey hey hey, in his defense, I also have plenty of photos with my daughter sitting on my lap... in my defense, she’s 7 months old.

daddy/daughter lap dance.

time to find a new passion.

It would be a great gig, but if you think Trump likes being photographed more so than other presidents, you are sorely mistaken. Any head of state has a REALLY big ego and being photographed is one of many ways to stoke it.

OK. But where does he stand on mirrorless vs DSLR? Canon vs. Nikon? Film vs. Digital? The merits of 2 card slots? Full frame or APS-C?

No one cares about border walls and trade wars, we need to know the answers to these and other pressing questions!

Hell, I'd do it. Maybe on his next term.

Yet another site--that has nothing to do with politics--that can't resist taking a jab at the president. Sure, everything was worse under the last guy, but he was so poised and articulate, and that's what's most important. I know that I would greatly prefer a pilot that says all the right things, while crashing the plane into a mountain.

You complain about this site posting something political then go on profess your own political viewpoint?

Oh please... they're the ones that opened the door--I just walked in.

I almost thought that you were being serious until I read this. "There has never been an accusation or whiff of crookedness in his business dealings. "

Also, Rush Limbaugh = High up in the party...

Wasim, it would be nice if you referred to him as President Trump maybe once instead of the borderline perjorative of just Trump.

I photographed him 3 separate times for Biz Journals. He was a complete ass the first time I photographed him asking me if my camera was real and why I wasn't a veteran. Before I could even respond, the veteran next to me said I was part of the drive by media. Fucking rednecks. lol Maybe he's changed his tune but definitely not in the beginning.

Is it just me, or has President Trump NOT been getting the quality of photography/images that a president should be expected to get? Seems like I keep seeing some of the worst photographs of him. I was not a President Obama fan, but he was constantly getting amazing images, as was his wife. Definitely not so much with President Trump and his wife.

Yeah, I feel the same way. I wouldn't mind helping out in that department.