Welcome to "Website Wednesday"
 For those of you interested in becoming a photojournalist, this is the post for you. Or... if you're interested in becoming a documentary photographer or simply telling a visual story with still images, you'll also get a "kick" out of this website. Today we're going to explore the National Press Photographers Association's website, otherwise known as NPPA. To learn a little more about this organization, their mission statement reads, "The National Press Photographers Association is dedicated to the advancement of visual journalism - its creation, practice, training, edition and distribution - in all news media and works to promote its role as a vital public service" (web). In short, the NPPA is committed to helping visual journalists succeed, which could include helping photographers, videographers, as well as time-based media artists. 
Above is the layout of NPPA's website and there are many resources available here. You could explore the different Photo Competitions, which are found at the top of the site. Currently, the following competitions are running: Best of Photojournalism, Monthly Clip Contest, TV Quarterly / Solo Video, Monthly Multimedia, Quarterly Photo Editing, Student Quarterly, and the Northern Short Course. There is also an opportunity to apply for a $3,000 grant, called the Short Grant.
By clicking on the "Find a Visual Journalist" link, editors or those looking to hire a photojournalist can find someone in a specific city or area. This is a great reason to sign up and become a member of the NPPA if you'd like to be a photojournalist. You'll then be able to "advertise" yourself on NPPA's website.
So what are the main benefits of joining NPPA? Aside from being able to explore other photographer's work... and listing yourself in their database, you'll also be able to access their resources such as: job opportunities, business practices, the magazine, a member identification card and perhaps the most important thing to note, NPPA's ethics.
By joining the NPPA, you'll be expected to follow their Code of Ethics. As stated in the NPPA Code of Ethics Preamble:
Visual journalists operate as trustees of the public. Our primary role is to report visually on the significant evants and varied viewpoints in our common world. Our primary goal is the faithful and comprehensive depiction of the subject at hand. As visual journalists, we have the responsibility to document society and to preserve its history through images..." (web).The Preamble is followed by the actual Code of Ethics, which starts out by stating, "Visual journalists and those who manage visual news productions are accountable for upholding the following standards in their daily work...As an NPPA Photographer, one is expected to follow these codes such as...
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"Member Spotlight." National Press Photographers Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 July 2013. | |||||||
