Do newspapers need photographers?

This was the title of a NYTimes blog post in reaction to yesterday's news out of Chicago, quoted below.  Could we ask the same question about writers?  Editors?  It doesn't seem freelancers with iPhones can so easily substitute for years of experience, local connections, extensive training, and commitment to community and professional ethics.

A Chicago journalist believes this may be management strategy to rid the company of the mostly unionized photographers, to be replaced in the not so distant future with cheaper part-timers or freelancers at a later date.

Chicago Sun-Times lays off all photographers 

28 full-time staffers received the news Thursday morning 

May 31, 2013|By Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune reporter 

The Chicago Sun-Times laid off its entire staff of photographers Thursday and plans to use freelance photographers and reporters to shoot photos and video, the newspaper said. 

A total of 28 full-time staffers received the news at a morning meeting, according to sources familiar with the situation. 

The Sun-Times released a statement connecting the move to the increasing importance of video in news reporting, but the organization also is not profitable currently, according to a knowledgeable source who was not authorized to speak publicly.

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FOLLOW-UP

A Chicago journalist interested in the results of the Sun-Time's new reliance on non-specialist photographers began tracking and comparing the Tribune and the Sun-Time's coverage of the same stories. The results can be found at Taylor Glascock's Tumblr and a story in Wired (links below). There are some obvious differences but perhaps the biggest blow to the Sun-Times is horrendous graphic design. 

Sun Times/Dark Times: http://suntimesdarktimes.tumblr.com

Wired: http://www.wired.com/rawfile/2013/07/replacing-photographers-with-iphone-wielding-reporters-yields-mixed-results

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