Journalism has traditionally involved the use of images and photos. In the past, illustrations complemented the textual content. When the first war pictures appeared in newspapers at the end of the 19th and early 20th century, a new form of journalism emerged, using powerful photography to tell the news. Photojournalism was initially closely intertwined with war reporting, and one of the most famous figures of this age is Robert Capa. His motto highlights one of the basic requirements of photojournalism – to report from as close to the scene as possible: “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough”.
Through the expressive power of images, photojournalism aims not only to inform the public about what is happening in the world, but also to educate people about various global issues (migration, ethnic minorities), social injustices and inequalities. Unlike other types of photography (documentary photography, celebrity photography, street photography etc.), photojournalism needs to remain honest and impartial. Photojournalists use the camera to capture and create visual representations of a story, and this involves using visual language instead of linguistic means of expression. In this regard, the increasing role of pictures in journalism fits the broader trend known as the pictorial turn.
The technological development of cameras over the years has had a major impact on the evolution of photojournalism. In the age of digital transformation, the use of smartphones and digital photography has become prevalent among journalists. Visual social media platforms such as Instagram offer an attractive opportunity for both professional journalists and amateurs to publish journalistic photos, significantly transforming journalism and photojournalism in particular. Thus, photojournalism today is closely intertwined with both digital journalism and citizen journalism based on the participation of amateur users.
