Photog openings... we got em....

engphotog21

Active member
Hey all,

The station I work for doesn't seem to believe in advertising their job openings for some reason. Anyone having that same issue? We have had two openings for a little while now. We will fill one, and then someone else will leave for a reason or another. None seem to be leaving because of the station, just better opportunities appear. It is getting a little frustrating that they aren't getting any new people in quicker, but hey, no one knows about them unless they happen to go to the corporate website... I don't want to name the station, because it would seem like advertising the jobs, and I don't want to do that on the message board. But if anyone is looking for a gig in a top 40 market in the Midwest, feel free to PM me for info.
 

svp

Well-known member
You know, even the stations that do advertise job openings just aren't getting the applications they used to. Its sort of a dying career that no one is getting into anymore. Stations don't seem to care about skill or experience anymore. Combine that with how many stations now use MMJ's, plus they pay about half what a photog position should pay, and there just aren't many photogs to pick from anymore.
 

At the scene

Well-known member
Correct SVP!! We live in the " its just good enough"world. Does anyone else notice that we never see a posting from any station asking for an NPPA type of photog. Stations do not care!!
 

SamG

Well-known member
I dare to say that stations don't care because viewers don't care. As long as the station still gets the ratings it wants/needs, why spend more than they need to? Would having NPPA level photographers bring ratings up if you don't change the content?
 

At the scene

Well-known member
I dare to say that stations don't care because viewers don't care. As long as the station still gets the ratings it wants/needs, why spend more than they need to? Would having NPPA level photographers bring ratings up if you don't change the content?
I agree but I don't think viewers don't care. It is evident by the low numbers TV news pulls in. I know, News Directors all over the country blame the internet for low numbers! Cop out! Their own websites are horrible! I stopped watching TV news 10yrs running now and I'm in the business. No wonder the average viewer stopped watching it's unwatchable.

No having NPPA photographers would not bring ratings up. It never did but what it did was bring a sort of higher standard to the industry. When stations asked for NPPA type Photogs more than likely they new how to level a tripod, new what a jump cut was or compose a shot. I watch these VJ's today with the little consumer cameras, no tripod, no light, tweet with one hand while shooting with the other. What a joke! It's embarrassing.

Don't get me started/ ;) Sorry sometimes I get carried away :D
 

engphotog21

Active member
Stur, I sent you a Private Message.

It's crazy SVP, it seems like we have had quite a change in situation since the start of the great recession. There use to be very few jobs and lots of people trying to fill them, and in 8 short years the demographic has totally changed... I wonder if the fact that a lot of small stations are trying to hire nothing but MMJs and people fresh out of college are forced to look to larger markets right away. Maybe the large markets don't want to hire the newbies and there are less small market photogs trying to work there way up. Either way, its a very interesting change of events...
 

1911A1

Well-known member
Speaking as someone who does the hiring, it's excruciatingly difficult to find good photographer candidates these days.

IMHO, the MMJ craze has disrupted and probably destroyed the television "food chain". When small market stations don't have any photogs on staff, there's no one for those of us in bigger markets to hire when we have photog openings.
 

svp

Well-known member
I'll just add this little nugget too. If you are a photographer with any decent level of experience and skill, do you really want to leave your job and start at the bottom of the ladder at a new station? I sure don't, especially once you've made it to a M-F schedule with weekends off. Just something else to consider.
 

KsPhotog

Well-known member
We have an opening too

I was asked to look around to help my chief find a replacement for a photog that is leaving. I don't want to encourage anyone to come here when all I do is live shots and vosots. The MMJ's are taking over and pulling the quality down with them. It's so frustrating!
 

BluesCam

Well-known member
I haven't done news in 20 yr., but I can sure see the changes over that time. The NBC affiliate here is leaning heavily on live shots with multiple reporters, but it is always after the fact. Back when I was shooting, they had this new little trick called "live from the news room." What a scream.
 

Land Rover

Well-known member
Its been 10 years since I moved to a government video job. There are some things I miss about news but when I look at the product, all the live shots and how much more people are having to do during a shift I don't think I would enjoy it the way I used to.
 

satpimp

Well-known member
scratch and sniff news

Land Rover,

I feel ya.
An old rant (below) came to mind when I read your post. As for Photog openings. We have them from time to time. This place is as dysfunctional as any. Most of our guys are NPPA types. Many have been soured by the tonnage and turn and burn nature of our beast. They leave to do art or tell stories. Not everyone finds greener pastures elsewhere.



Scratch and Sniff News Rant:

The scratch and sniff news isn't even worth watching before you have a whiff or get that crap under your nails.

We are watching for safe zones and color temp, our constituents are watching at red lights to see what the weather bunny has on. I catch most of our news on IFB.

We've peddled so much dreck that that's all the audience expects. I know I'm a dinosaur. I still sit through CBS New Sunday Morning and miss Mr. Kuralt's pieces from the road.

An endless hamster wheel of the same crashes, fires and puppies cut from the last cycle's pkgs so the nats are already lost. The fourth estate is a bank foreclosure on a sinkhole.

It's thrilling and it's frustrating. Its kept the lights on for a long time. All I know how to do is make TV. I just wish there was more opportunity to make good TV.
 

svp

Well-known member
Well, I just found out what one of the big reasons why there are a shortage of photogs. We are having two days of social media training this week taught by two University of Missouri professors. One of the first things they said was they are having students ditch professional gear and are having them only use iPhones for journalism. So, basically, no student coming out of Missouri will know how to use a professional camera. If Mizzou is doing this then you can bet most other colleges and universities are doing it too. I left today's training VERY depressed.
 

svp

Well-known member
Here's an interesting question. Has you station ever actively recruited photogs instead of just waiting for applications or have you yourself ever been recruited? Could this be the next trend given the lack of qualified photogs? I only ask because I was contacted today for this very reason and it's the first time it's ever happened to me but I do know of one other photog that it's happened to as well.
 

At the scene

Well-known member
Here's an interesting question. Has you station ever actively recruited photogs instead of just waiting for applications or have you yourself ever been recruited? Could this be the next trend given the lack of qualified photogs? I only ask because I was contacted today for this very reason and it's the first time it's ever happened to me but I do know of one other photog that it's happened to as well.
Yes but we are talking 1992. Back then Broadcast & Cable Mag. is where most TV people looked for jobs. The only Magazine that would be read from the back to the front. ( because all the job postings were on the back pages). I was about 5 yrs into the business and applied for a job in San Diego. It was common back then to be flown out with your family, put up in a 4 star or better hotel and actually negotiate your terms. Not only that but some stations would include an apartment for the first 6 months to a year.

AHH! The good old days when you were respected for your craft. Of course back then TV stations were printing money. Traveling was no problem and the destination was unlimited. MY HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED. They say change is for the better but I just don't see it.

SVP might be on to something here. Master your craft!!!! If the managers or colleagues cannot tell the difference between your shooting and that of the MMJ or VJ at your station then in my opinion there is a huge problem with your skills.

When I was in TV news I had the reputation of being a decent photographer. Won my share of awards for the station and was soon recognized by my shooting style. Colleagues would ask reporters if I had shot their package or live shot because they could tell. That comes with some advantage's, once when I was on vacation a major fire broke out. The news director thanked all the photogs who were on the scene sending back beautiful pictures, my name was included. Also lets face it there are some days when we just cant get it right. Bad white balance, bad audio, shaky hand held. In the newsroom ( when people cared) I would hear WHO SHOT THAT CRAP!! When I would admit to it. No one believed me ha! ha! it was unbelievable.

I guess what I am trying to say is, be the best you can be. Try something new, learn from others. You can learn something new from the 40yr vet or the new kid fresh out of school. I'm always learning and I have a long way to go to compete with some of you guys on this board.
 

satpimp

Well-known member
At the Scene,

Long long ago, in a career far far away, I was involved in photog hiring. We flew people in. There were big discusions and lots of hand wringing at the top of the newroom food chain for any photog candidate. Ads went past the local paper or who's available nearby. Moving expenses were the norm maybe even a month or two housing to settle in.

Now an accountant makes the descision as soon as he picks the cheapest camera and sets the salary based on the new automation system to be implemented across the group.

It ironic however that every shop I've been through, the photogs championed the craft.
 

1911A1

Well-known member
Over the years I've been contacted out of the blue by stations trying to recruit me. The last time was two(?) years ago from a Phoenix station.

As for my station, I try to maintain a "farm team" of small market photogs that I critique and mentor. When I have an opening, I hire them if they're still available.
 
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