Transformation of photojournalism practice in the Czech Republic in the age of digital technology

This study investigates the impact of digitalization on the photojournalistic profession and its transformation during the last two decades. The development of digital technology and the Internet by the end of the 20th century has brought several questions to the field of photojournalism and impacted the entire process of photojournalistic material production. Taking the example of the Czech Republic, we examine how photojournalists and photo editors perceive the changes brought on by the adoption of digital technology and how news routines, photojournalistic practices, image content, and professional identity have been reshaped. We conducted in-depth interviews and surveys with 48 photojournalists and photo editors from different Czech news media and magazines. The findings show how Czech photojournalists evaluate the state of their profession after digitalization. We also discuss a new way of image taking, so-called ‘cinematic shooting’, the ‘myth of acceleration’, and new responsibilities laid upon visual news professionals.