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Reuters Fires Their Photojournalist of Over 30 Years

by 18 Comments

Reuters has been following suit along with the Chicago Sun-Times on changing the way its handling the photography division. Last August, the company laid off all of their sports photographers in North America. And now, it’s been announced that Gary Hershorn, a photographer who’s worked at Reuters for over 30 years, is having his last work day at the company on April 1.

Reuters @ Canary Wharf

If you don’t know Gary Hershorn, you’ve most likely seen his work either way. Over those 30+ years he’s stayed with Reuters, he’s shot sixteen olympics (including Sochi), over 10 MLB World Series Championships, 23 Academy Awards ceremonies, and 24 Super Bowl games, according to NPPA.

With a resume as legendary as that, this is a guy that won’t have too much trouble finding another job, and he knows that. In fact, Gery Hershorn is already planning on how to move forward now.

“I would like to do something in the future that allows me to take more pictures,” Hershorn said, “something that allows me to use a camera again. I’m really open minded about the future. I love print journalism but I also love the whole new world of streaming photography, and I have skills that cross both media. For the near future I’ll probably do some freelancing, but I’m open to any new opportunity. I have an enormous desire to work in the tech media field, to do something like Teru Kuwayama is doing with photography at Facebook. I’m fascinated with Instagram and Google and Flipboard. Steve Fine [the former director of photography at Sports Illustrated] is at Flipboard now. I think it’s an amazing news App. I’m interested in the future with these kinds of opportunities.”

The fact that Reuters is breaking away from a guy who’s given this much to the world of photojournalism is just another sign of the troubling times that are plaguing that field of work today. Companies are starting to take cheaper prices for cheaper quality, and the lack of professional photography in their work shows each time. There’s only so many times an iPhone works best for a spur-of-the-moment photo capture, but it won’t cut it each time. That’s something a few news outlets aren’t understanding: Cutting costs for the sake of cutting costs isn’t always the best thing to do. And if you’re going to do so, please give a better excuse, Reuters. Don’t tell the guy with a resume in Hollywood, the Olympics, the MLB, and the NFL that he’s fired because of “changes in coverage”.

[via NPPA, photo CC by tripu]

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  • I had an offer from them a few years back and even at the offer stage they tried to play games so without remorse I declined and it is a decision I have never regretted.

  • 30 years is a long time. Retire and make room for others.

    • R Christopher North

      Oman.. Its not retire and make room for others.. They are not replacing the position

  • April 1st :)

  • Mike McKallicuffy

    this isn’t very funny.

  • @65WZ
    Quote“ Cutting costs for the sake of cutting costs isn’t always the best thing to do.”
    Applies to every industry…

  • lord eels

    the problem is uploading. d4s and 1dx should allow iphone/android hard wired docking. I should be able to use my phone as a modem and my camera should connect to it via hardware.

    imagine if you could just slide your iphone into a slot on your camera like an CF card. Perhaps we could even use the interface on the phone while it is attached. I know this would present compatibly issues.

    but the reason iPhones are killing our profession is about speed first, and costs second. if we could be fast and the best, of course we would be worth more.

    right now this cluegy laptop tethered solutions only work in certain situations like shooting speed skating camped out with a huge tele. even then I need many batteries or AC sockets.

    let me use my phone as a hardwired LTE modem. this would change everything for the work I do.

    • someguy

      Ehm… there are Wifi-connected SD cards. You CAN have everything send to your phone immediately…

      • lord eels

        1) no pro cameras have SD cards
        2) local ad hoc or infrastructure wifi is not dependable and it is poorly supported by canon and especially nikon.

        so shut your idiotic mouth

        • Perhaps these aren’t “pro” depending on who you ask but the Canon 5D Mark III has both CF and SD slots. The Canon 6D uses only SD which I dislike but the body has built in wireless and GPS and can transfer low-res shots right to my phone. I own both of these cameras and they are highly capable.

          • lord eels

            again, the performance and support is just not there.

            have you ever used an eye-fi card?
            if you had, you wouldn’t be suggesting this for PJ work.

            I’d much rather just use my phone’s data connectivity right off the camera’s hardware.

            obviously this is 10,000x superior to your suggestions, because it is half the points of failure.

            furthermore cameras aren’t capable, photographers are.

          • My point about the 5d Mark III having an SD card slot was to refute “1) no pro cameras have SD cards”

            My point about the 6D is that it’s hardware INCLUDES BUILT IN WIFI to communicate with my phone, without using an eye-fi card.

            Cameras are technologically capable with limitations such as dynamic range or resolution. Of course the great shot comes from the photographer, not the equipment.

          • lord eels

            notice how you avoided my entire point, wifi is still 2 points of failure. in addition to being unstable

            consumer grade wifi camera applications are just that. you cannot depend on them as a working shooter.

            I highly doubt you have depended on a 6d wifi connection all day for paid work.

            furthermore, I stand by my comment: no pro cameras have SD cards.

            Present company included.

          • OK you’re right :) I concede.

            I am now going to go out and buy an iPhone to work as a photojournalist, since many institutions are letting their pj staff go for hipsters. iPhones are FAR more advanced than SLRs with constant LTE connections and camera sensors that have higher MP counts than dSLRs did when most institutions moved to digital. Besides, it’s the photographer, not the camera right? ;)

          • lord eels

            notice how you avoided my entire point, wifi is still 2 points of failure. in addition to being unstable

  • Steve bracken

    To many company’s only look at the bottom line instead first looking at their history of SWAT Strengths, Weaknesses, and Transisions. The first two are obvious but Transisions within a company are not always so obvious. However they identify the How, how did we get here. What, what are we known for. When, when did things change and why. Managers who are reactionary, those who make decisions based on a snap shot instead of movie will always fail. Action managers always look at the movie before making a decision. If this latest decision by Reuters management then they are headed for failure and that is a shame. Remember bean counters record history they never make history.

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