This is just another thread in a long, troubling trend.
“There was a decision made through the company to restructure various departments, including at Sports Illustrated. Unfortunately economic circumstances are such that it has cut the six staff photographers.”
Like most print and online media that make this move, Sports Illustrated will still have pictures. They’ll just be taken by free-lance photographers. Which means 1099 labor. Another source of benefits dries up right in front of us.
According to a source at Time-Life the layoffs will be effective in March, possibly on differing dates for specific photographers due to their individual agreements with the company. But because of this, the laid-off photographers will still be shooting the upcoming Super Bowl together for the magazine.
Talk about bittersweet moments. Their last big hurrah. Sad.
This is a travesty! This show Sports Illustrated was slow to capture early Internet sales and now is dying on the vine! They’re trying to become profitable anyway they can.
This is the internet and we all want and expect things free. Just look at the next “Free Patterns” posting. The old idea of delivering quality for a price doesn’t work anymore when it comes to electronic content.
“Restructure.” Deplorable.
Oh, they’ll still have photos. They’ll just buy them for pennies from Internet-based photographers who are pricing themselves out of the market or are simply hobbyists — or possibly even just using camera phones. I envision SI with blurry photos of stadium shots from the cheap seats and quickly shot selfies with sports stars rushing by in the background. Oh, and a “You Be Da Reporter” page similar to other news sites that let people use their phones and become unpaid news sources.
Welcome to the world of free, people 🙂
Jackie Robinson rounding first against the New York Giants during his last season in the majors. A masterpiece by George Silk, one of the giants of photojournalism.
http://life.time.com/culture/jackie-robinson-rare-and-classic-photos/attachment/09_113337901/
I suspect readers will continue to see many of the same names in the photo credits without realizing that those photographers are now bidding on freelance assignments.
This is not about free things on the internet.
It’s about once profitable companies who are struggling to make money because people are not willing to spend the money for internet as they do for glossy magazines.