Take photographers seriously

I FEEL I should write in support of Tony Sleep’s letter in the July issue. Having been a photographer for 20 years and living with the attitude of some editors and writers that photographs exist only to fill the gaps between stories, or to act as illustrations to clarify the written word, I am disappointed by the belief in the industry that “anyone can take pictures”.

The union has reinforced this attitude via the Drogheda agreement last year and the comments reported from Donnacha DeLong of the New Media Council.

The standard of photographs in print has slipped and will continue to do so while the union sees photographers as nothing more than sidekicks, rather than as journalists in our own right, requiring the same level of respect and support as other members.

Shane Dempsey
Chief Photographer, Harrow/Wembley Observer

The Journalist is published by the National Union of Journalists