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Posts Tagged ‘journalists’

The Associated Press partners with Sony to exclusively provide its visual journalists with Sony camera gear

24 Jul

The Associated Press (AP) has announced it’s partnering with Sony to make the Japanese electronics manufacturer the sole supplier of photo and video equipment for its visual journalists around the globe.

This massive undertaking will see visual journalists in more than 250 locations across 100 countries supplied with Sony cameras, lenses and accessories to capture the more than 3,000 photos and 200 videos submitted every day. AP says ‘A wide variety of Sony’s imaging solutions products will begin delivery immediately, including the full-frame mirrorless Alpha cameras, FS series professional video cameras and an assortment of Sony’s 57 E-mount lenses including G Master models.’

To find out more about the collaboration, we had a conversation with AP’s Director of Photography, J. David Ake. In the interview, he explains why the partnership happened now, how long it’s taken to get this collaboration together and what it means for the hundreds of AP visual journalists around the world.

Our interview with AP’s Director of Photography

Press release:

AP to Equip all Visual Journalists Globally with Sony Imaging Products

Sony Electronics to become AP’s exclusive global imaging provider for photo and video journalism

July 23, 2020 – SAN DIEGO, CA – Sony Electronics Inc. a global leader in imaging, and The Associated Press, the trusted global news organization, announced today a new collaboration that will make Sony the exclusive imaging products and support provider for AP news photographers and video journalists around the world.

With journalists in nearly 250 locations in 100 countries, AP provides factual, compelling journalism in all formats, including 3,000 photos and 200 videos each day. The news agency has a distinguished history of powerful visual journalism, winning the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography — AP’s 54th Pulitzer and 32nd for photography — and garnering recognition from the Royal Television Society for excellence in video.

A wide variety of Sony’s imaging solutions products will begin delivery immediately, including the full-frame mirrorless Alpha™ cameras, FS series professional video cameras and an assortment of Sony’s 57 E-mount lenses including G Master™ models.

“We are extremely honored to announce this collaboration with The Associated Press, an organization with an incredible history in journalism that continues to raise the bar for global news reporting and delivery,” said Neal Manowitz, deputy president for Imaging Products and Solutions Americas at Sony Electronics. “The Associated Press is a universally trusted brand for news information in the world. We are honored to equip AP’s journalists with our technology and support, giving them the opportunity to capture, transmit and deliver imagery in ways they never could before.”

“Sony’s history of innovation aligns well with AP’s, and with our vision for the future of visual journalism,” said Derl McCrudden, AP deputy managing editor for visual and digital journalism. “AP is committed to providing the best imagery to our member news organizations and customers across the globe. Adopting Sony’s cutting-edge equipment and technology allows us to do that, by enabling our photographers and video journalists to be faster and more flexible, ultimately creating better visual journalism.”

When the transition to Sony is complete, AP’s video journalists and photographers will for the first time be equipped with the same brand of cameras, allowing for seamless collaboration among the news agency’s journalists as they tell the world’s stories in whatever medium is right for the moment.

AP visual journalists will be able to share Sony cameras and lenses, as well as the images they capture, to produce a news report unhindered by technical limitations.

“The new mirrorless technology in Sony’s cameras allows for a completely silent operation, meaning our photojournalists can work in environments without interrupting the scene around them,” said AP Director of Photography J. David Ake. “This is a huge leap forward in photojournalism.”

In addition to delivery of product, AP and Sony will work together to improve workflow and efficiency of field operations, including testing of 5G capabilities.

Sony offers 5G through its Xperia™ product line, which uses technology from its professional monitors, cameras and audio devices.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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As protests continue in the US, journalists report being targeted by police

02 Jun
A photograph of the state capital building in Lansing, Michigan, during the protest on Sunday, May 31.

Over the past week, protests have been taking place around the United States (and across the globe) after George Floyd, an unarmed black man, died in police custody. The officer concerned has since been charged with his murder.

Nearly every major city in the United States has seen some kind of protest in recent days. While many stayed peaceful, others have resulted in disorder, which has seen special police units, SWAT, National Guard and even federal agencies deployed in an effort to keep things under control.

When violence erupts, regardless of where it happens in the world, the media are on the front lines – with all of the risks this entails. For example, during violence in Minneapolis over the weekend, Reuters photographer Lucas Jackson had the lens attached to his Canon 1DX Mark II destroyed by a ‘protester wielding a crowbar’.

Most experienced photojournalists could tell similar stories, but increasingly, members of the press are reporting coming under threat from law enforcement officers, too.

From television news anchors being arrested live on air to camera operators and photographers being targeted by non-lethal rounds, credentialed members of the media and freelance photographers covering the protests have found themselves under threat from law enforcement. So much so that the matter has attracted international attention.

One of the first instances of police apparently targeting the press came in Louisville, Kentucky when officers started firing non-lethal projectiles at a reporter and camera operator for local NBC affiliate WAVE 3 News:

Linda Tirado, a freelance photographer, was covering the protests in Minneapolis on Friday night when she was hit in her left eye by what she believes was a rubber bullet fired by police. Speaking with The New York Times, Tirado said she ‘put [her] camera down for a second, and then my face exploded.’

Tirado was carried away by protestors and was taken to a hospital, but has since been told by doctors that she is permanently blind in her left eye.

It’s unclear whether Tirado was deliberately targeted, but it seems that some members of the press have been. According to data compiled by Neiman Labs and others, during the ongoing protests, photojournalists and other members of the media have reported being attacked ‘at least 100 times’ by authorities, in many cases despite presenting press credentials.

The Columbia Journalism Review has shared a comprehensive summary of police attacks on the press throughout the recent protests:

CJR: The Police Abuse the Press. Again.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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AFP Kabul chief photographer among journalists killed by suicide bomber

02 May

AFP news agency’s Kabul Chief Photographer Shah Marai was one of several journalists killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan’s capital city, the agency has confirmed. The attack happened approximately 15 minutes after an initial suicide blast and specifically targeted journalists and aid workers who arrived on scene following the first attack. The second suicide bomber was disguised as a journalist, according to BBC.

The AFP, via Yahoo, has since reported that Marai and nine other journalists were killed in the attack, as well as ‘dozens’ of others in multiple blasts today. BBC further clarifies that four police officers were killed and at least 45 individuals were injured. Islamic State claims it was behind the attacks.

Marai, father of six including a newborn, began working as a photographer for the AFP in 1998. He described his experiences covering the region under Taliban rule in an essay published by the AFP, including the changes that came with their ousting in 2001 and their return in 2004, as well as the risks associated with carrying a camera.

The agency has issued statements on the tragedy and published a video showcasing some of Marai’s work:

Note: Comments on this article are open. Comments that do not adhere to our community posting rules will be deleted, and we reserve the right to close commenting entirely.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Capitol Hill photographers asked to delete protest images, claim journalists

27 Jul
Photo by Phil Roeder, licensed under Creative Commons

Journalists photographing a protest in the US Capitol building report that they were told by Capitol Police to delete photos and videos of arrests. The events unfolded yesterday in the third floor Senate wing of the building as demonstrators protested the vote that would begin an effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

As police handcuffed and removed protestors from the hallway outside of the Senate chambers, journalists were reportedly told by police to stop taking photos, and were instructed to delete photos and videos they had captured.

Official policy for press in the Senate Gallery states that photography is indeed prohibited in that area. However, the ACLU spoke up to remind press that police may not force anyone to delete a photo or video without a warrant, no matter the circumstances.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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