How Photojournalists are able to be Agents of Change?

What moves a person when they look at the pictures taken by a photojournalist is not just about the picture taken but the words that comes along with it. It is the background story that is behind the picture that tells the greater story that allows the photojournalist to create an impact by engaging with their emotions. Thevos Tsairis, Co-Founder of the Alexia Foundation said that ‘photojournalists work to reveal the truth in what they witness’ and ‘photographs are catalyst for change when they turn evidence into emotions’.

             Photojournalists are able to engage with the public’s emotions and awareness is through their intimacy with the subject and the audience. They are the middle man that connects moments with humans whether in the subject of human rights, climate change or even from a political standpoint. They do not decide for the audience on what to do, that is for audience to decide for themselves. What photojournalist do is to put themselves in the shoes of the subject and tell a story through their photography and words. They basically draw out the dotted lines from all corners of the globe and let public connects the dots to see the big picture.

An agent of change in creating awareness on the education and acceptance for blind children.

ng Students at the Meng Jie School for the Blind, in Hebei, China, 2014 by Lijie Zhang

Photographer Lijie Zhang hopes to document the lives of blind children in rural areas of China because they were isolated by their society. Through her pictures, she could reach out to more people who would help create awareness for people to reach out and to accept them as part of the society. 

An agent of change in creating awareness of how chemicals could significantly alter the lives of our future generation.

Some of the chemicals we use everyday in our modern world eventually find their way into our bodies. In extreme cases, such as the use of Agent Orange in Vietnam, the exposure is so high that it alters the DNA and can affect even your children and grandchildren. This is the case with this child, who has no eyes, with Fraser Syndrome in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Photography by Peter Essick.