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

At the scene

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.
And yet they wonder why hardly no one is watching TV news!!
 

photog1199

Well-known member
We are having the same problem here. Top 30 market with 4 openings and can't get many qualified candidates. Anyone that knows anyone that wants a job let me know.
 

Shootblue

Well-known member
I wish I had a rosier view of it all. I'm 18 years in and yesterday I had to show a reporter the right way to put a beta tape in the machine.

I've worked for the past few years at a station that was once a well revered news station and had consistent placing in the contests. Management fell off and the quality and content is not there. They used to recruit talent, now whoever lucks into that two week hiring window is the next warm body. They sure as hell don't have years of experience like they used to.

Late last year we were sold, and the new overlords start soon. I'm concerned, frankly. Increasingly megacorporate ownership has destroyed local news.

I should have left for another job years ago, but family and other reasons kept me near. I was once a really good photographer with a good skillset who was ready for a large market job. I didn't know everything, but I could have probably got most of that figured out at the next stop. 8 years later, I have all but given up on fighting the system. If the station really thinks my skills are best used by being on nights and weekends, where I largely shoot vob's, live shots, and packages about empty buildings or city council coverage, then so be it. I've lost skills because, like they say, if you don't use it, you lose it. Not just at my station, but in many others, the old school, quality, visual journalism is gone. The visual heroes of the 80's and 90's are all but out. Now we are lucky if we have a full size camera. I could only muster up one mentor in my entire career who gave a damn enough to help me learn, so I can imagine the frustration of anyone starting out and trying to learn in a largely closed system.

I've seen the meager living of those who do make it to larger markets, and the standard of living gets no better. I don't want to live in a shady neighborhood and drive a 10 year old car for the rest of my life. TV won't pay me what I have now come to realize I need to have a relatively comfortable life. I don't want to go into another station and start at the bottom again with everything. I can only imagine that when I finally find greener pastures, they will either not replace my position or hire it with some kid from studio like the last two have been...and knowing them it will be an "internal only" posting...because why would we risk hiring someone from outside who knows what they are doing? I feel like I have wasted years of my life climbing a ladder only to find out it goes nowhere. Sure I saw some great things on the way, but, I think the only answer now is to jump.
 

Capt. Slo-mo

Well-known member
Well, now I'm depressed. That is a sad story, and one I suspect is being lived all over the country. Just this weekend, saw a Facebook posting from a reporter in DC for WUSA-TV burbling about how she was doing OMB liveshots with a hand held smartphone.

SMDH....
 

Run&Gun

Well-known member
Megacorporate ownership is destroying everything. It's all about the bottom line and how to cut every corner and dollar off of a production. I just covered the NFC Championship for a network and they decided NOT to use a satellite truck(AFTER we had one of two cell backpacks die the week before after the game). Four crews, but no truck. They bet it all on cell backpacks working in a super crowded cell environment like that. Except this time BOTH packs let us down after the game. BUT hey, they saved a few $K and that's all that matters...
 

At the scene

Well-known member
Megacorporate ownership is destroying everything. It's all about the bottom line and how to cut every corner and dollar off of a production. I just covered the NFC Championship for a network and they decided NOT to use a satellite truck(AFTER we had one of two cell backpacks die the week before after the game). Four crews, but no truck. They bet it all on cell backpacks working in a super crowded cell environment like that. Except this time BOTH packs let us down after the game. BUT hey, they saved a few $K and that's all that matters...
Run & Gun same here, covered the AFC in Denver. Worked fine 3hrs before game. As fans arrived not so much. "Hey it's the future right" just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, every day my eyes open more and more. the web is not killing TV. TV is killing itself!!
 

svp

Well-known member
I feel my local news days are quickly coming to an end too. I just can't see staying in much longer. Everything at work was going great until January. Now....well....lets just say things have changed and not for the better. Wish I could say more but I'll leave it at that.
 

At the scene

Well-known member
SVP sorry to hear that. I know the feeling, happened to me about 8 yes ago. I got lucky and left news for a sports network. Here's the problem if you stay in news, you can find a better place and buy yourself 3 maybe 4 yrs but eventually that station too will change. Its a copy cat business and unfortunately no one has a creative idea to break the mold.
 

svp

Well-known member
SVP sorry to hear that. I know the feeling, happened to me about 8 yes ago. I got lucky and left news for a sports network. Here's the problem if you stay in news, you can find a better place and buy yourself 3 maybe 4 yrs but eventually that station too will change. Its a copy cat business and unfortunately no one has a creative idea to break the mold.
I'm lucky enough that I have my own gear and can make it strictly freelancing if I have too. I've done it before. Its just the cost of paying for healthcare that really keeps me in local news. I'm about to launch a new business partnering with my father-in-law and there's been a lot of interest in what we're offering. I'll explain more after we officially launch. Being layed off in years past has me always thinking ahead about what I'd do if I lost my job again and that keeps me in good shape so hopefully that mentality frees me of local news soon. I was in great financial shape a few years back but my wife and I had to go through five years of fertility treatment to have our son and we had to pay for it all out of pocket and that really wiped us out. That's really the reason I just can't up and quit yet.
 

Alaska cameradude

Well-known member
TV station pay for experienced photogs pretty much is in the toilet.
Not sure why anyone would be surprised about a lack of experienced
applicants. Most (not all but most) people I know that are good, have
went freelance and now work less hours, and still make more money
than they did as staff shooters.
 
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