Why does every news story need a picture?

jack presley

If you look at the Indo and IT's websites, why does every story need to have a picture? If they don't have a relevant photo, what's wrong with just going with text on it's own? Whenever there's a crime story, they both always go for the standard picture of the back of a Gard.

coylemj

It fills space and therefore the journos don't have to write as much. It's also eye candy and in the case of the Sindo, it's an excuse to fill virtually every page with a photo of a pretty woman, preferably with the minimum amount of clothing or the highest hemline.

mikeyjames9

coylemj wrote: »

It fills space and therefore the journos don't have to write as much. It's also eye candy and in the case of the Sindo, it's an excuse to fill virtually every page with a photo of a pretty woman, preferably with the minimum amount of clothing or the highest hemline.

They filled virtually every page on Sunday with their anti sinn fein agenda and the rape story

Notwithstanding the rape story and sinn fein /Ira handling and cover up are a disgrace

Green Giant

From my contacts in local media, they tell me that an eye-catching photograph will inevitably draw the reader into the story.

I do agree, though, that it is a headbanger to see the same stock photos time and again. Money spent on a skilled photographer is money well spent.

expectationlost

see the newspapers putting a pointless picture with their tweets as it more noticable in the twitter timeline, other aggregators

Yorker

Green Giant wrote: »

From my contacts in local media, they tell me that an eye-catching photograph will inevitably draw the reader into the story.

i knew that and i have no media contacts. common sense

jack presley

Green Giant wrote: »

From my contacts in local media, they tell me that an eye-catching photograph will inevitably draw the reader into the story.

I do agree, though, that it is a headbanger to see the same stock photos time and again. Money spent on a skilled photographer is money well spent.

I can see how an eye-catching picture might do as you say, but a photo of the back of a Garda wearing a hi-viz vest hardly falls into that category.

Green Giant

jack presley wrote: »

I can see how an eye-catching picture might do as you say, but a photo of the back of a Garda wearing a hi-viz vest hardly falls into that category.

In that circumstance the paper should make the effort to source a new photograph. Granted, if it's a crime story then caution needs to be taken, but even a snap of the crime scene would be better than a stock photo of a Garda in a high-vis

Yorker

Just curious how good to photos have to be.? One in Sindo front page today of Joan being freed does not seem great . Blurred. She was moving I guess but would a pro not be able to take account of that?

Pretty poor too

jack presley

The Irish Times are now even adding irrelevant photos to their tweets! Sometimes it's the standard back of the Gard in his hi-viz jacket, other times it's a close up shot of the part of the car with the Garda confidential number or website address on it. Surely they don't need to do this in tweets now