Interesting development

[Adam Gagnon]

"Freelance photographers who have been shooting sports on contract for Reuters in North America started getting phone calls Friday from Peter Jones, the North American Sports Photo Editor at Thomson Reuters, who told them that their sideline services would no longer be needed as of September 15."


https://nppa.org/node/63274

[Moe Doiron]

One can not lose sight of the glaring irony that the photographers who choose to work for as little as $50 per game for an upstart agency in order to get noticed and move up to the next level have in fact contributed to the annihilation of that very next level.

[Warren Toda]

I guess the $2-billion profit last year wasn't enough for Thomson Reuters.

Isn't Reuters already partnered with US Presswire which supplies the exact same sports coverage in North America?

[Moe Doiron]

According to that story US Presswire is now called USA Today Sports Images.

[Warren Toda]

According to that story US Presswire is now called USA Today Sports Images.

Oops, too much skimming.  

I recall when Gannett (USA Today) bought US Presswire in late 2011, Gannett staff photographers wondered how soon they'd be pushed out: "Are Gannett's motives even darker? Does it mean that Gannett papers will no longer staff NFL/MLB/NHL/NBA and the like instead relying on Presswire? "

When Reuters partnered with US Presswire, ostensibly to distribute US Presswire content alongside Reuters' own content, one wondered the same - how soon would Reuters photographers be pushed out.

I suspect sports coverage is just the start. It will be followed by entertainment coverage and perhaps general business and lifestyle.

One could argue that sports and some other areas of news coverage have become a commodity. But remember when each newspaper had its own personality, not just the editorial slant and style of reporting but also in terms of photography?

In the rush to the bottom, the only way to be as cheap as possible is to commodify your product. This is true factory-style production and the knee-jerk way to run a business, unless you're selling widgets. Once you commodify, you paint yourself into a corner and have no choice but to compete on price. (Freelancers take note).

[Fred Lum]

and if I recall correctly, USA Today photographers weren't assigned to the 2012 London Games. US Presswire covered it.

[Peter Jones]

Fred you are incorrect, as I sat beside their photographers on countless bus rides to the MPC. 

[Fred Lum]

I stand corrected, thanks Pete

[Steve Russell]

and if I recall correctly, USA Today photographers weren't assigned to the 2012 London Games. US Presswire covered it.

According to Mark Loundy, one USA Today shooter (of staff of five) was at the London Games, Robert Deutsch.
I didn't see Jack Gruber or Bert there.

Link to Loundy's column

[Jon Blacker]

I've said this elsewhere online, but want to add it here as well;

I don't pretend to be an authority and I know with absolute certainty that there are other photographers who will be affected in much greater ways than I, however I was contacted directly by Donald Winslow, the editor of the NPPA's News Photographer Magazine late Friday night to weigh in on the news of all Reuters sports images coming from USATSI. A very limited portion of our conversation is quoted in the article.

There's a lot of hate going around for the USATSI (former US PressWire) photographers.

My own opinion, for what it's worth, is that those who chose to shoot for USPressWire which subsequently morphed into USATSI were universally panned not because they're not nice folks or may be good shooters, but rather, irrespective of who they are personally, they chose to work on spec with USPressWire and subsequently took the USATSI contract which made them 'those guys who are helping kill our industry'.

It's not personal, it's business....and as we all know, there are times when business is very personal.

[Ken Gigliotti]

There has been much speculation  and tea leaf reading during the lull after the release of the tablets and rise of the smart phone , but this is action . Companies look realistically  forward . They project plans into the future and are judged by their actions and results . It is a very cold reality . Some newspapers have changed hands , there is interest in buying a business that  Warren Buffet said he wouldn't buy at any price , and is now buying. People with money and vision  are seeing value  and the price is getting to be right . This is all potential until paying customers find value or the business changes in a radical way.
  This looks like positioning , new players are taking a second look , others are finding a spot if a new reality begins with different game plans .
   There is no point for dogs to start eating other dogs.This is a critical time and the big players are moving their chess pieces. It is either a correction or further decline .This is corporate , way above all of our pay grades .T3 has picked the right horse too many times. Many of the companies have money on the sidelines , lots of money , a big play may be in store .  

[Warren Toda]

... There's a lot of hate going around for the USATSI (former US PressWire) photographers...

Maybe this is why.