http://www.visualeditors.com/2006/12/do-we-even-need-pros-to-cover-spot-news/ The classroom for visual journalism Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:08:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 http://www.visualeditors.com/2006/12/do-we-even-need-pros-to-cover-spot-news/#comment-972 Nick Sun, 17 Dec 2006 02:30:52 +0000 http://www.visualeditors.com/home/2006/12/do-we-even-need-pros-to-cover-spot-news/#comment-972 Well, I would just suggest it broadens a publication's ability to cover the community or area. A photographer or several can only be in one place at one given time. What separates the professional from the amateur is time available to do said task. We are journalists. We are paid to chase around these things. Most of the public is not. But when Joe Q. Public happens to be at the right place at the right time, he too can contribute. We as journalists aren't going anywhere, but our reach will grow with Joe Q. Public's journalistic contributions. I wouldn't look at pubic contributions as competition, but rather as an augmentation. Well, I would just suggest it broadens a publication’s ability to cover the community or area. A photographer or several can only be in one place at one given time. What separates the professional from the amateur is time available to do said task. We are journalists. We are paid to chase around these things. Most of the public is not. But when Joe Q. Public happens to be at the right place at the right time, he too can contribute. We as journalists aren’t going anywhere, but our reach will grow with Joe Q. Public’s journalistic contributions. I wouldn’t look at pubic contributions as competition, but rather as an augmentation.

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