Best of Photojournalism To Continue Accepting Unpublished Images

23 October 2002
Maria Mann is the Best of Photojournalism contest chair.

After the Best of Photojournalism judges voted to award first prize in Domestic News to Seattle photographer Mike Urban, and the National Press Photographers Association executive board subsequently voted to publish the photo on its website and magazine, there have been some undertones of regret and self-doubt.

I do not share those sentiments, nor do the five judges who made this rather difficult decision. We did the right thing.

The commission of any act of hate is not easy to take – whether in the form of crimes against humanity in war, or in every day life. But the truth cannot be a “convenience”; it needs to be a constant. We have a mission – to document the truth. If this mission has given way to politics or queasy stomachs then we have yet another important mission – to defend the very essence of our profession.

There are some who would rather not deal with controversial subjects, from whence has sprung the issue of whether or not BOP should accept unpublished pictures.

While veiled as a general question (which, by the way, has never been an issue in POY or World Press), the motive clearly stems from having to deal with the fallout from the Urban photo and a certain cringe factor.

NPPA has long been a champion of all photographers, whether staff or freelance -- supporting them, teaching them and encouraging them to produce work of substance. This work does not always, however, get published. Politics, differences of opinion, editing, space/time constraints have on many occasions prevented extraordinary work to be seen, or to be seen in its entirety.

Outside of the U.S. some harsh realities contribute to work not being published. Often there is no equivalent of the NPPA, worse yet no freedom of the press. Many newspapers have no photo editors, only layout people who dispassionately deal in commodities. Or a photographer may be the lone staffer who has no advocate/mentor (also not unheard of in the U.S.).

NPPA has served as that mentor, giving a voice to photographers who might otherwise be silent and their work unpublished. NPPA, previously through POY and now through BOP, has always afforded venues for these talented photographers, and has given them the exposure that has prompted first class mentors to offer their help.

This is where we accept our responsibility. BOP shall continue to welcome unpublished entries.
-- Maria Mann