In 1892, Ida B. Wells famously wrote, “The people must know before they can act, and there is no educator to compare with the press.” Journalism institutions measure success similarly through the number of people who engage in the news and what is learned. Photojournalism is a part of the process, yet it struggles to evolve beyond its solitary practices. Its long-standing relationship with war, which requires little to no basic human interaction, overshadows its civic and educational potential. It has become a tool where the Ends justify the Means without question––which many newsrooms consider an “editorial risk” outside of breaking news. 

Today, 93 percent of photographers surveyed across 87 countries believe collaborating closely with those photographed is not a journalistic priority, according to a 2022 study titled The State of Photography by Knights Foundation and Catchlight io. A change in methodology is needed. 

In our workshop, photojournalist Sebastián Hidalgo will break down his image-making process and show participants how to root photojournalism in some form of civic infrastructure. It is open to all skill levels and professions, including but not limited to hobbyists, working photographers, and photo editors. Together, we will dissect the basic fundamentals of photography, dive into a long-forgotten worker-photography movement, and show how to break the power dynamic between the photographer and those in front of the camera. 

Hidalgo abides by The Society of Professional Journalism's Code Of Ethics and is a part of the Just Action Racial Equity Collaborative. 

This program is in conjunction with Porta(til), Comfort Station’s Día de Muertos project curated by Carlos Flores.