Photo Ethics: Meet a Photo Editor

1. Invite a photo editor from your local newspaper, magazine or news website to meet with your class, student media photographers and videographers, and photography students in your school. 

2. In advance, have students brainstorm questions to ask during the visit. Possible questions include:

• Describe your typical workday.
• Are you involved in the brainstorming stage of a story?
• Do you select all of the photographs that appear in the daily newspaper and/or on the news website?
• What percentage of the photography in your newspaper comes from wire services? Staff photographers? Reporters? Freelancers?
• Who handles the cropping of photos?
• Is all photography digital? Does anyone work in a darkroom anymore?
• What changes have you seen in the profession over the years?
• What qualities do you look for in a photograph?
• What training did you have for your job? What training and classes do you recommend for someone who wants to be a news photographer or videographer?

3. Pick five to eight students to ask one of their questions to begin the interview portion of the class visit.

• Tape recorders or pens and notebooks for recording the interview

After the guest has left, ask the students what they found most interesting and most surprising. Prompts include:

• What are the challenges of the job?
• Can they apply what they've learned to their student newspaper? Yearbook? What about publishing photos on their social media accounts?
• Is this a profession that appeals to them?