Photojournalism

The essentials

Photojournalism is telling news stories through photographs. A strong news photograph captures a decisive moment, shows emotion or action and gives information that words alone cannot. Photographs attract readers to a page and make stories more believable and memorable.

Key points

• News photographs record events as they happen, such as a rally, accident or sports moment.
• Feature photographs show human interest, everyday life or beauty, and are not tied to breaking news.
• A caption (cutline) is the text with a photo. It identifies people (usually left to right), the place and the event, and adds context. It is usually written in the present tense.
• A photo essay is a series of photographs arranged to tell a complete story on one theme, with brief captions.
• Good photos have strong composition, clear focus, good lighting and a clear centre of interest.
• Ethics: photojournalists must not stage or digitally alter news images to mislead; they should respect privacy and dignity, especially of victims and children.

Exam tips

Remember the difference between a single news photo, a feature photo and a photo essay. Questions often ask what a caption should contain or which action breaks photo ethics.

Common mistakes

A caption should not simply repeat what is obvious in the picture ("a man standing"); it should add the who, where and why.