Sexual Harassment in Photojournalism
If you are reading this, you need to go read that. It is not optional.
There is a lot of information to process there. As a male who has been in the industry for almost three decades, I want to be able to say this is a selective view of a small segment of the industry.
Which may be true but it does not matter. Also, I don’t think that it is true.
Harassment comes in big scenes and small scenes. I’ve had colleagues report how they were treated by people they were covering. I’ve had students report that older, male organizers of conferences had invited them to their rooms for after-parties only to find they were the only ones invited and there were pornographic films being shown on the television. I’ve had students report that professionals looked at spokes models in leather pants and turned to the student to say they’d look good in those.
And I use “report” as we do in journalism – when we report something to the public it is because it has been verified and found to be true.
My program here at the University of Georgia is predominantly women. My industry is predominantly male. It is my responsibility to try to balance those two.
We run programs for students throughout the year, including our two signature workshops – Photojournalism at the Fair and the Woodall Weekend Workshop. I have a zero-tolerance policy – I’m not accepting any transgressions and I’m not taking any chances. You don’t get invited unless you’ve been vetted, which means I’ve asked specific questions about you. And if it is reported that you were inappropriate, you are not coming back.
You make my kids feel uncomfortable or othered or less-than and you are done.
And I’m willing to tell my colleagues, near and far, to cut off your access.