The National Press Photographers Foundation is pleased to announce The Bob Lynn Grant for In-Depth Documentary Photojournalism, established by Bob and Millie Lynn.
The $4,000 grant will be awarded annually for 10 years to working professionals or photojournalism students to support documentary photojournalism projects.
“I have created this grant to encourage photojournalists to do stories that expose the sad underbelly in American society — locally or nationally. Stories told through photographs and words hopefully make a difference,” Bob Lynn said.
The former editor cited examples of iconic photographs, including Eddie Adams’ street execution in Vietnam, Charles Moore’s dog attack during a civil rights protest in Birmingham, Alabama, and Donna Ferrato’s domestic violence in America.
“The National Press Photographers Foundation is extremely pleased to receive the support from Bob and Millie Lynn. This grant creates opportunities for working professionals or photojournalism students to produce significant work each year,” said NPPF President C. Thomas Hardin.
“A photojournalism industry icon, Bob Lynn, has given so much to our profession over the years and now has found a way to continue supporting photojournalism education by establishing this grant within NPPF.”
Bob Lynn is a former assistant managing editor/graphics at The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Virginia), where he served as a photojournalism leader for 17 years. During that time the paper was recognized for excellence in the Pictures of the Year competition, including three first-place wins for Best Use of Pictures for large metropolitan newspapers.
Lynn came to Norfolk from the Charleston (West Virginia) Gazette, where he was graphics editor for three years. Prior to that, he was a reporter and photographer at The Cincinnati Enquirer and the Los Angeles Times. Lynn started his 38-year career as a sports reporter at the Wilmington (North Carolina) Morning Star.
He wrote “Vision, Courage & Heart,” a visual journalism leadership and management book that soon will be offered as an e-book.
Lynn holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Marshall University and a master’s from Ohio University. In 1971, he was Ohio News Photographer of the Year and earned national recognition for his reporting on nuclear power plants.
His many accolades include the NPPA’s Joseph Costa Award in 1997 and 2004; Clifton C. Edom Award in 2008; and American photojournalism’s highest honor, the Joseph Sprague Memorial Award, in 2009. That same year, he was inducted into the Cincinnati Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists Hall of Fame.
His words of wisdom to aspiring photojournalists: “My only advice is to shoot with honesty from your gut and heart,” Lynn said.
The first Bob Lynn Grant will be awarded in early 2020. Applicants can enter via NPPF’s online portfolio system.
Image preparation requirements and a link to NPPF’s portfolio system is at nppf.org/bob-lynn-grant-application.
The deadline for applications is Feb. 3, 2020. ■
The National Press Photographers Foundation announces the opening of the 2020 scholarship competition. “We award 10 $2,000 scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students studying photojournalism in graduate programs or four-year undergraduate programs in the United States,” said Dr. James W. Brown, NPPF chair of scholarships and awards. ■
Read about NPPF scholarships, click here.
Instructions for preparing images and entering a portfolio, click here.
See portfolios of previous winners, click here.
