There’s no question that photographs from this week's Republican National Convention, merely days after an assassination attempt on former president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump, are going to define the narrative of this tumultuous time in U.S. history. There’s also no question about who overwhelmingly seems to dominate the photojournalism field based on this photo that I've linked to below: white men.
Take a look at the photo:
Early scenes from the Republican National Convention:
— Getty Images News (@GettyImagesNews) July 15, 2024
Don Jr. and Eric Trump face the media.
House Speaker Mike Johnson wields the gavel.
An attendee shows his Republican spirit, honestly.
Protestors demonstrate outside Fiserv Forum.
📸: @somogettynews, @andyharnik, @jraedle,… pic.twitter.com/k5AeDrZ8Ed
It was shot by Getty Images photographer Chip Somodevilla, who thought to get on the other side of Don Jr. and Eric Trump to photograph the gaggle of photographers from the other side. The photographers, about 23, or almost all of them that are visible in the photo, seem to be white males. There may have been a few minorities or other women in the group, but it’s hard to tell.
Regardless of what the exact count was, it’s stunning that news organizations don’t consider this when sending out photographers. Yes, news outlets have hit tough times, and those tough times disproportionately affect minorities in newsrooms, but it’s still something an editor should think about. This is even more important when it involves a presidential candidate that specifically targeted minorities when crafting policy as president.
The Somodevilla photo reveals that there’s still a huge gender/race gap in photojournalism. If you look at the list of reporters in the White House Press Corps (or at least the ones listed here), there’s a lack of diversity across the board. You can see that in the photographers that Getty images chose to highlight in its tweet.
When photographs disproportionately carry the collective consciousness and culture of a specific group, they in turn disproportionately bias their consumers toward that group's ideas on anything from sexuality to social habits. Culture feeds into art feeds into culture. Culture feeds into advertising feeds into culture. Culture feeds into journalism feeds into culture.
This particular photo from the Republican National Convention shows that, still, no one is listening.
Does This Sound Familiar?
If you’re a longtime reader of Fstoppers, maybe these words seem familiar to you? It’s because it’s almost exactly the same article I wrote seven years ago about another stunning New York Times photo, one of James Comey testifying in the Senate. And then again two years after that. And now.
It’s been five years since I last wrote about this, and the political press has seen it fit to not pursue diversity in their photojournalists. It’s a sad state of affairs when our history is photographically only told through the lenses of white men.
While I can understand that, perhaps, editors don't want to send minority and women photographers into certain situations, this kind of "benevolent paternalism" in handing out assignments benefits neither the careers of the photojournalists left out, nor the narrative of history that is created.
Representation matters in photojournalism. I'll keep writing this article until the industry gets there.
Wasim, you are making my point! I think we actually agree.
If, as you say, the people who are not participating are CHOOSING not to participate, because they want to be around people who are like them, then nobody is being "shut out" of any job, or clique, or club. They are simply choosing not to participate somewhere where the majority of people are different. And they are not being overlooked in the hiring cycle, they are simply choosing to apply to different kinds of jobs in different fields, where there are already more people like themselves.
Wasim Ahmad wrote:
"I know that was the case when I lived in Florida. So I started my own photography club."
Wasim, would I be welcome to attend your photography club meetings? And would I be allowed to join your club?
I hope I would, because I am one of those people who actually likes to be around people who are different from me. I realize that when there is a group of people who look different and talk different and act different than I do, that I am NOT being excluded. I am just different, and difference does not mean that I am unwelcome. I am only unwelcome if I am directly told that I am not welcome, or if I am told that my membership application will not be accepted. Unless those things are actually said to me, then I AM welcome, whether I FEEL welcome or not.
Everyone was welcome! But that was also 16 years ago so I doubt it's still around.
We had a mix of age ranges though not much diversity. I was also a founding member of the Shoot Miami photography club and would drive there many weekends to participate - I made that effort because I enjoyed the diversity of the group.
I did actually stay in the group that I first went to when I moved to Florida, despite being one of the only young people/minorities in it.
All that said, I'm not one of the young people anymore ...
Wasim, I do not know why someone gave you a thumbs down for this comment. I love that you started a photography club, and I also love that you continued to attend one in which everyone else was different than you. There is a lot to be gained when we do things even when we are not totally comfortable.
I don't understand why you think minorities don't want these jobs? Can you share the applicant data to make this point?
"For instance, most internships in journalism are unpaid. That means that only people of means can afford it. People of means are more often white males because they've had the least amount of obstacles placed in their path in this country and have had the years to build the generational wealth to do this"
In the USA, South and East Asian-Americans have a higher average salary than whites. This means that they are MORE LIKELY to be "of means" but as other people have pointed out, when you go to photography meetups, events, clubs or even participate in online forums, the vast majority of people are white men. This is NOT because other groups are held back but because they aren't interested. If you wrote the above article in 1954, then you might have a point but in 2024, you couldn't be further from the truth. Especially when nearly every company is bending over backwards, in the west, to hire non-white males.
"Minorities - for instance, if your family started this country in slavery - haven't had that same amount of time to catch up. People of color could not even attend the same schools as white people until very recently in our history."
And yet, look at how many of them have become actors, actresses, sports athletes, etc. The NBA is 73% black and the NFL is 53% black (even though they are ~13% of the population), yet you never hear anyone complain about this. We accept that those are areas that black males, for example, are likely to be more interested than Asian males.
I suspect you couldn't cut it in photojournalism and allowed your resentment to find home in social justice because it feels more validating than getting better at your craft.
I think Wasim would be great in journalism. We need people with perspective of various situations - social, daily life, conflicts, economics, politics, etc.
I keep seeing people saying minorities aren't interested in photography - I'd really like to see the data that says this. They might not be at camera clubs and such, but that doesn't say they aren't interested, it might be they aren't comfortable in camera clubs (this thread has already had several folks say their club is older, white, and male - so that is going to chase a lot of people away - and not just by color).
On the one hand you say: "It's not about someone being blocked now. It's about the history of the industry." Previously you said: "It's hard for minorities and women to break into the industry and get these opportunities to photograph when the gatekeepers don't look like them." The difference between blocked and hard is subtle, and your comments lead the reader to think that you're claiming discrimination to some extent against minorities in today's workplace. If past history only shaped the industry as we know it, but today's employment rules and regulations allow for anyone the right to a job, why the emphasis on history instead of present day opportunities for everyone?
You can cite all kinds of cases of discrimination in history. The United States was founded by racists. It took almost 100 years to abolish slavery, and another 100 years for Blacks to have equal protections under the law. It was 1900 before single women were permitted by all states to own property, and 1974 before laws were passed giving single women the right to credit. But do female college graduates in 2024 run around complaining that life is so hard because their grandma couldn't even get a credit card? History is complicated and, of course, the barriers to success have always been greater for some people than others. Not every white kid in America grows up in a family that can give them a college education. Many of them have to overcome steep obstacles as well.
I don't believe, as other people have stated here too, that employers today are inherently biased because of another person's skin color or racial limitations due to historical influences. This is 2024, not 1924. Corporations are under a microscope for that sort of thing. If I were a high school or college teacher, I would present the history with all its warts, but give students the opportunity to see how far this country has come, and the opportunities available to everyone, rather than pushing them to conclude that minorities suffer from ongoing discrimination. By the way, my grandfather came to America in 1910 from Eastern Europe, with $20 in his pocket and undoubtedly no understanding of the English language... possibly even Jewish, to boot. Talk about disadvantaged. But within 15 years he was a part owner of a metal stamping business in Manhattan, doing quite well financially with a wife from Connecticut and two sons. Those sort of stories need to be told as well. It's all in the way you present it.
Sigh, and, therein lies the problem. You are using past slavery, which ended over 150 years ago, as a crutch…as an excuse for laziness. My family, along with countless others, left our home countries to come here to the US for a better life. We didn't rely on handouts and government assistance and we're doing just fine.
Again - you are implying minorities are lazy or that people are making excuses and not working hard.
Again, I think you're reading something into his comment that's not there. He says absolutely nothing about the work ethic of minorities. He merely stated that his ancestors (much like mine) came to this country, probably not knowing a lick of English, and made a good life for themselves. He's stating what's possible, rather than what's not possible. As I said in one of my earlier comments, these sort of stories need to be told as well. Stories are what change perceptions.
Likewise, again, par for the course with you, you twist and cherry pick my words so you can manufacture grievance. It's like I have to hold your hand for everything little thing.
Firstly, I'm a minority so, no, I'm not implying minorities are lazy and makes excuses and don't work hard. smh
Secondly, if after 150+ years some folks still can't "catch up" (Wasim's words), it's not a system problem, it's lazy person problem. And, before you self-trigger again, when I say "lazy", I'm referring to individuals, not an entire group of people.
There is literally no systemic racism in this country. The US is among the least racist, most diverse countries on the planet. If I wanted to keep minorities down, I couldn't invent a more toxic ideology than the one being advocated by so many people who purport to have compassion for minorities. If this country is so racist, why do we have so many examples of people faking being a minority to get ahead politically, or with scholarships, etc..,
I would never teach my mixed race son that he can't achieve a single thing in this country because of his race, and guess what, he is a high-achiever.
this new DEI politics is just insane. It's not about race or gender! It's about your ability to perform and your will to work in the area. Trust me, if you're up and coming and do quality photo journalism, you'll eventually have a shot! No matter if you are black, yellow, brown, white, blue, red......
Here's what people forget! There are thousands of photographers and millions of wannabe amateurs trying their luck. The industry is full. And there's not much space for many new people to outshine the already amazing professionals. That's why it's tough!
You want to outshine the current professionals? Dig in and do the work! the results will eventually show up! And stop it with this madness of race&gender! Newspapers and agencies couldn't care less if your hair is black, blue or brown. It's about the work you present! PERIOD!
Pity the poor photo editor. They need photos their intended audience wants to see. I suspect the audience is reflected in the selection of photographers.
I assume that when these discussions happen in here, we are always talking about the reality of the US and not everywhere else.
The black population in the US is 13,4% of the entire population. How many of them are trying photojournalism? Can we now say that it is NORMAL that there are very few black photojournalists?
Geez.... why is this racist article here? DEI is a failure, this past weekend is evidence of that. I don't want a DEI hire flying my planes or performing surgeries on me. I want the best most qualified person regardless of their race/ethnicity.
I love how you call the article racist, then immediately turn around and imply minorities can't be the best and most qualified person...
I’m going to pen an article griping about how photographers in Africa are mostly black or how photographers in the Middle East are mostly Middle Eastern or how photographers in Asia are mostly Asian or how photographers in Central/South America are mostly Hispanic.
Since US has about 60% white population and only 14% black population.. obviously then likely there would be more white photojournalists.
What does 'underrepresented' mean? Nothing. Non-whites are underrepresented in the NFL and NBA. Males are underrepresented in university student bodies and degrees granted. Women are underrepresented among electrical linemen. So what. Look at yourself as the reason for your situation before you blame the world.
So don't look at the system? Just ourselves? It isn't possible that a person can work hard, hustle, be the top of their game and still not face system hurdles?
The system has given the US equal opportunity and anti discrimination laws. Loads of them in the past 50 years. Corporations operate under a microscope of diversity rules and regulations. The system is more helpful to minorities in this country now than at any time in its history.
Of course an individual can work hard and not get the job. That's probably because there are dozens of other people applying for the same job. Why do you feel it's because of systemic racism? If I got every job I asked for, I'd be incredibly wealthy. Well, actually, I'd be burnt toast. But my point is that I don't dwell on the jobs I've not been given... I focus on the ones I do get. Bottom line is that I really don't think the system is so bad, and I only get a small fraction of the jobs (speaking from a self-employment standpoint) that I apply for.
Believe it or not, I once had a customer tell me that they gave the order to my competitor because she was (young, blonde and female) prettier than me. And I really couldn't disagree with his observation, so I went on my way and sold something to a different business down the street. That was so long ago that I think I remember dinosaurs roaming the earth. It's inconceivable though that anyone would say something like that today. I also remember at the age of 22 and fresh out of school trying to sell my work to people old enough to be my father. I still remember how awkward that felt. Now it's customers who are my kids ages and younger which feels weird. There are always challenges and uncomfortable situations involving business. I could write a book about them.
Can I express my frustration with barriers that I've faced in the job market as a white male, without implying that minorities' challenges are less real or severe?
I'm saddened to see the responses, but I'm not surprised. I wish that if people who had no experienced the world that other people experience regularly, the least they could do is disagree with it with respect.
--- "I'm saddened to see the responses"
I'm not. It's well deserved.
--- "the least they could do is disagree with it with respect."
The article and its premise is disrespectful. So, no, it doesn't deserve any respect.
I generally agree with your point of view regarding the main issue of diversity being discussed here. I disagree that the opposing view does not deserve respect. Everyone deserves respect. Everyone. That's how problems are solved and progress is made. At virtually every level... government, business, education, social, family. You name it, nothing goes far without respect.
I think a lot about the time my grandfather immigrated to America in 1910, possibly around the time of your family. Italians, Irish, Polish, Jews, Catholics all landing in Manhattan at the same time learning to coexist when there was a lot of preexisting hatred carried with them from their homeland. And I think the only reason that we have advanced culturally to where we are as a country today is respect.
--- " I disagree that the opposing view does not deserve respect. Everyone deserves respect. Everyone."
I disagree. Not everyone. When people advocate for unfair hiring practices, they need to be shut down quickly and shut down hard. We have equal employment opportunity for a reason and he wants to change that and show favor for a group of people because of his misguided emotions and thinks these people are being marginalized.
Also, I have to consider the source. This author walks the same line as CNN, MSNBC, etc. During the riots, he referred to the rioters as mostly peaceful protestors. So, no. No respect will be given in these types of articles.
You give these people an inch, they'll want to take 24,900 miles. Enough is enough. If you read room, it's pretty clear most are fed up with it.
Okay... maybe "everyone" is going too far. But short of ax murderers and politicians, everybody else deserves respect. Because when nobody listens to the other side, and nobody compromises, bad things happen.
You call them rioters - were you there? I was. Called it as I saw it, as a journalist should.
The mansplaining, white men in these comments are horrid.
Racism exists. Sexism exists.
To say this doesnt play a part in ones perspective while photographing is absurd.
Our perspectives is what makes us unique based on life experience. If its the perspective of 50 white males its bound to have similarities versus 25 women of different ethnic backgrounds and 25 men of different ethnic backgrounds.
Racism and prejudice exist. I don't doubt that. They play a major role in shaping our perspectives. I get it. History has not been kind to minorities. I understand that too. But is it a brick wall between a person and that person getting a job? One side argues that minorities today face unique barriers which discriminate against them. The other side claims that personal responsibility demonstrated by persistence and hard work should prevail regardless of race, age or sex. Maybe truth lies somewhere in the middle.
"Imagining the lives of others is also a way of imagining a richer, fuller life for ourselves." – Tara Conklin, Author. From an essay which appeared in the April 2024 edition of National Geographic magazine.
I remember exploring the pages of National Geographic as a child, looking at all the pictures of people and places so far away – wondering how life could be so radically different in so many places from the comfortable couch in my home in Allendale, New Jersey, an upscale suburb of New York City. When I look at the photos in National Geographic today, it reminds me that we're all humans with pretty much the same fears and anxieties, cares and affections.