Chicago Sun-Times vs Chicago Tribune Blackhawks front page coverage

[Drizzt321]

So remember how the Chicago Sun Times fired all their staff photographers and handed out iPhones? Well...here's the front page for the Sun-Times and the Tribune (called DarkTimes for some reason...). See if you can spot the differences here. Mike Pasini hits it right on the head.

http://suntimesdarktimes.tumblr.com/post/53967466726/front-pages-june-26-2013
http://www.mikepasini.com/corners/2013/06/28-stanley-cup.htm

P.S. I think we need a more general "photo stuff discussions" sub-forum somewhere...I'll put that under site suggestions.

 

[Zv]

Yeah the Tribune shot has captured the atmosphere and emotion. It's dynamic and captures your imagination. The Sun Times shot - well for one thing it's a tiny square box, it shows a guy carrying the cup or rather to me it looks like a man moving the cup from one location to another! It could be an ad for a removal company! There is no expression or feeling. I hope the Sun Times crashes and burns for their stupidity.

 

[Krob78]

Wow, like night and day!

 

[distant.star]

.
The Trib looks like the work of a pro photographer -- exactly the kind of shot you'd expect from a major newspaper. The other one looks like a high-school newspaper.

As I think back (a long way back, yes) I don't recall photos ever being discussed in J-Schools. Reporters focused on getting stories -- research, sources, leads, legal issues, correct writing, even headline writing. But photos never came up. Photos show up in the real world -- and only when you get to the copy editor or managing editor or news editor positions -- and then you're working with a photo editor. So, if they're trying to make photographers out of reporters, they may be unprepared and unsuited.

As I say, long time ago. Things have probably changed at least a little.

 

[SithTracy]

I think this just represents the outrage people have on this story. A photo is what draws you into a story on a newspaper. That said, I boycotted the Sun Times, but I think that image is a fake and not actually what was printed.

 

[Zv]

Some people like to keep important events as a momento or cut the pic out and keep it. Which one do u think they'll keep? They really didn't think this iPhone strategy through, did they? The image is what sells it. If I was to choose a newspaper I would just instictively go with the one with the most appealing picture. It's how we operate. Heck the entire advertising industry is based on that!

 

[jdramirez]

Spot on. Personally I don't care for the photo on the right all that much, but it is 100x better than the alternative one.

 

[CarlTN]

Could the right photo have been done, or almost done, with an iPhone? Not saying it was, just wondering how close any of you think a smartphone could get to that (assuming the person shooting it was the least bit skilled as a photographer).

I get your point that the problem is the photographers were fired, and thus non-photographers are now responsible for taking pictures. I saw one of them interviewed on tv a couple of weeks ago. He was very passionate about his work.

The problem is, newspapers pretty much everywhere are losing money. Isn't the Sun-Times also? Explains why they would fire employees such as photographers. Then turn around and pretend they're being trendy by handing out iPhones to reporters...It's a shame the government can't do the same thing with their employees. Fire 90% of them, then pay the remaining ones a one time salary in the form of a smartphone...with no service plan included.