“Laid off from the Sun-Times”

My “About” says I’m a journalist turned ad girl—but, truth? Journalism is still deep in my heart.

Because of that, I’m sensitive to the changing state of journalism and I’m very romantic about the preservation of good reporting and storytelling. I’m maybe a little quixotic when it comes to the ideals of preserving the way print journalism used to be; but I’m quickly learning that maybe I’m a little jaded even about what (and yes, it’s only 2013 and you can already say it) digital journalism used to be.

This photo broke my heart last week, as a Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer John H. White and other members of The Chicago Sun-Times newspaper found out last week that their entire department was being laid off. The paper is moving more towards “iPhonejournalism.”

Heartbreaking.

But, journalists keep going. And that’s what I love about the people in that industry. The ever desire to keep pushing forward and to keep making an effort to tell the stories they were born to share.

As such, one photographer, Rob Hart, has started a tumblr, “Laid off from the Sun-Times,” with images from his new unemployment. (Shout out to Breslanta.com for the share.) It’s beautiful. 

I have no doubt that Hart and White, among the rest of the Sun-Times photography staff, will continue to tell their stories. I just also hope that the Sun-Times continues to report at the same caliber. And there’s a part of me that just doesn’t know how that’s going to be possible right now.

“It was as if they pushed a button and deleted a whole culture of photojournalism.” – John H White