Photojournalism @ NTU

by

SHYAM TEKWANI

November 30th, 2007

A section for students of the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, NTU.

A photojournalist does the same thing a reporter does, only the former uses a camera with a notebook. A photojournalist’s “job” is to go out and experience life for others, to capture an event on film, and hopefully capture the emotion that was experienced, so the readers can see and feel what it was like to be there. The photojournalism path is designed for students who wish to be “out in the world” by pursuing a career in photojournalism or documentary photography.

COM 422 Photojournalism cover the fundamentals of the craft. COM 423 Advanced Photojournalism helps to hone one’s craft. At the end of the course, students will have developed a portfolio of their work. Working for the Nanyang Chronicle provides invaluable hands-on training.

Requirements: socially aware, inquisitive, self-motivated and passionate about a career in photojournalism or documentary photography.

The course underpins a rigorous programme of photographic assignments within the framework of the history and development of the medium and the critical ethical and theoretical context in which this medium is viewed. By exploring the methodology of documentary photography and photojournalism, students will initiate and develop their own projects and areas of special interest.

The courses are delivered as an intensive programme, with considerable emphasis placed on rigorous and demanding one-to one tutorials in which students’ personal vision will be challenged and developed. These tutorials will be accompanied by a series of lectures, workshops and seminars, delivered by course staff and visiting industry professionals.

Practical experience is a key part of the training and students will be encouraged to undertake work experience/internship with a newspaper, magazine or picture agency.

While this path does lay the foundation for students desiring to be photojournalists, the essentials of photography taught in the courses do help those wishing to branch off into various genres of photography such as travel, commercial and fashion.

The track record for this course is respectable. Former students of the course are working for the main newspaper, freelancing for international editorial publications and exhibiting internationally. Over six Photo exhibitions have been held, and at least fifteen books have been published, as Final Year Projects by Photojournalism students.

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