As we observed in the Platypus Papers, the changes are now coming at warp speed. In the meantime the market for traditional photojournalism has been shrinking almost as fast. Several recent events have begun to cast light on the form these changes will take, and how they will effect photojournalists, both still and video. The first, Steve Nelson, former engineering supervisor at CBS in Washington, is now senior systems engineer at Telecast Fiber Systems, designing digital fiber optic systems for broadcasters at major events.
Telecast is heavily involved in both digital and HDTV systems.
Just as those of us in print photojournalism have been hit with downsizing, reduced budgets, and shrinking news holes, the networks are going through the same process, times ten. Unfortunately, they have good reason to be concerned. The simple fact is that the great network for which they worked as photojournalists, editors, and soundmen is no longer the important property it once was. Less than half of the 2,400 people who went on strike can expect to return to their jobs. Disney is quite willing to leave them trudging through the snow forever.