Sports photojournalists in Cameroon face growing challenges, from the rise of mobile photography and content creators to financial struggles, piracy, and a widespread expectation for free images. Despite these obstacles, professionals emphasise the need for innovation, investment in training, and greater respect for their craft to ensure the survival of photojournalism in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Imagine a newspaper article, magazine feature, billboard advertisement, news segment, or online piece lacking images [pictures]. While text conveys essential information, photographs play a crucial role in enriching the narrative. When used effectively, images provide context and enhance understanding, often speaking volumes on their own according to The New York Times.

In today’s media landscape, visuals are not just supplementary but integral to storytelling. While text conveys essential information, images enrich the narrative by providing context and enhancing understanding. They can significantly influence the reader's perception and engagement with the content. Consequently, photojournalism emerges as a vital discipline, underscoring the power of images to shape, highlight, and humanise news stories. Without them, the impact of the narrative may be dramatically diminished.

“This is the world of photojournalism, a powerful form of storytelling that has evolved dramatically since its inception. From the first permanent photograph to the dynamic digital images of today, photojournalism has not just documented history; it has become a part of it,” notes Journalism University

While the role of photojournalism is undisputed, this craft is facing significant challenges today. Photojournalism can be defined as the process of using photographs to tell a story.

The Rise of Mobile Photography and Content Creators

Shrinking editorial budgets, increasing competition, and mistrust of the press are just some of the factors impacting photojournalism, says Lucy Fulford, a journalist.

Afeseh Apong shares Fulford's view and further advances that one of the other major challenges facing photojournalism today is the “intense competition” posed by the widespread use of mobile phones – equipped with high-resolution cameras.

“Yes, it's true that advancements in technology have led to the creation of high-quality mobile phones that can compete with professional cameras used by photographers and photojournalists. However, having a good mobile phone is only part of the equation; knowing how to use it effectively is equally important. While we often use our phones to take pictures, the skill lies in capturing the right moments. High-quality mobile phones enhance the work of photographers, but the ability to take great shots is what truly counts.”

Afeseh is a professional sports journalist with a strong passion for photography. He’s a graduate of the Advanced School of Mass Communication (ASMAC). “Despite having taken a course in photojournalism, at ASMAC, during undergrad studies, I didn't realize back then how much I would come to love and appreciate photography” he says.

He didn't initially begin with photojournalism, but it has now become a vital aspect of his work.

 “My main passion has always been sports journalism, and I have reported for various media outlets, including radio, print, online platforms, and television. My interest in sports photography and photojournalism developed when I started writing for kick442.com and later entered the realm of sports blogging. I noticed that high-quality photographs to complement my articles were often lacking, particularly in the context of Cameroon. This led me to purchase a camera and apply the principles I learned in my photojournalism course. Starting was difficult, as I had little photography experience, but with practice, I honed my skills and gained a deeper appreciation for both sports photography and photojournalism,” Afeseh explains.

Like Afeseh, Amungwa agrees that technological advances are impacting their craft significantly. “The rise of mobile phone photography has changed the landscape of photojournalism. At weddings now, for example, almost every guest is also trying to make a good video for themselves with their phones. Furthermore, there is the introduction of a new service provider that has almost overshadowed the role of photojournalists in the event scene; they are called Content Creators, often deployed to create instant mobile content for social media,” says Amungwa.

As a photojournalist, I see these developments in technology and gadgets as an opportunity to be able to do more, not necessarily as competition. For example, I have been using my phone (iPhone 15 Pro Max) a lot recently to get new angles of shots during events. The feedback from these when the clients see it is simply amazing. So yes, these new gadgets are offering a lot of opportunities he emphasises.

Glen Amungwa is a photojournalist, currently the Head of Operations and Creative Director at Vanillaboi Studios – a media outfit he founded in 2018. From the outset, he was a filmmaker and photographer while trying his hand at blogging and radio presentation.

He first took an interest in photography way back in 2010, assisting his uncle at his photo studio during the holidays. It was [just] a hobby until about 2018 when he founded Vanillaboi Studios; a photography agency at that time. Today, over six years later, Vanillaboi Studios has scaled to a fully-fledged creative media company, registered and operating in the cities of Yaoundé and Douala, Cameroon, serving a broad scope of clients, both nationally and internationally.

While developments in technology seem to be challenging photojournalism, piracy and access to finances pose an even greater threat to the growth and sustenance of the craft.

Financial Struggles and the Threat of Piracy

“Access to finances, for example, is a significant hindrance to growth and expansion. The only way out has been by ploughing back [the little you earn on equipment to keep the business alive.] Access to resources and equipment, which cost about USD 2500, will total approximately 3,000,000 FCFA in Cameroon. This already places us at a disadvantage compared to other filmmakers in Europe and America, for example,” says Amungwa.

In Cameroon, access to finance for start-ups and professionals is still a major issue. “Despite the potential of the country’s start-up ecosystem, significant challenges persist, including a fragile financial structure, a shortage of skilled labour, elevated taxes and tariffs, widespread bribery and corruption, and an often convoluted bureaucratic and legal framework. 86% struggle with funding while 93% face regulatory barriers.,” according to the Nkafu Policy Institute.

Another challenge facing photojournalism in Cameroon is piracy. “The primary issue we face is piracy,” says Afeseh adding that individuals often use their images without permission, with some utterly cropping out our logos or watermarks. Others take it a step further by re-editing the photos, which often results in a loss of the original quality.

Piracy in photojournalism is the unauthorized copying or distribution of copyrighted photos. It [piracy] is costing and hurting photojournalism in unimaginable ways. As PicRights puts it, photography takes an instant out of time, altering life by holding it still. But photographers (photojournalists) who create those images are increasingly facing a challenging economic landscape—made more difficult by the widespread piracy of their work.

Can Photojournalism Survive?

While photojournalism has been around since 1826, “a harsh environment has nearly killed off this entire profession. Photojournalists used to stand out as unique figures in the photography world. They embodied courage, resourcefulness, and respect – often seen as the rock stars of their field. Picture editors would eagerly send them to exotic and dangerous locations, waiting for their return filled with thrilling stories of their experiences. The captivating and meaningful photographs they produced were carefully curated and shared with a grateful public. In contrast, today's photography [photojournalism] is largely mass-produced and anonymous, flowing in from billions of devices – with a constant barrage of images available in the cloud, we are becoming overwhelmed by the sheer volume of visual content,” says Nic KocherIn, an Image Maker and Commentator.

Reinventing Photojournalism for the Future

Despite the odds, he thinks all is not lost. “It [photojournalism] can be reinvented,” he emphasises. That reinvention, according to Afeseh and Amungwa, hinges on highlighting the importance of visual storytelling to readers or viewers, valuing the craft of professionals, combating widespread piracy and making substantial financial investments. 

“It's crucial for us [photojournalists] to highlight the importance of visual storytelling, especially since many people today prefer images over lengthy written pieces. Emotions are often better conveyed through visuals. For this craft [photojournalism] to thrive, we must respect photographers and photojournalists for their work,” says Afeseh emphasizing that many talented photographers produce high-quality images, but often hesitate to share them publicly [for fear of not reaping the benefits of their craft].  

He further calls on potential users of their works to consider paying for it. “Regrettably, it’s a common practice that people frequently expect to access [our] these images [pictures] for free. For example, after a football match, players might approach [us] photojournalists requesting pictures, but as soon as a price tag is mentioned, they quickly backtrack – [a phenomenon that’s putting many out of business], “he says.

Photographers and photojournalists [are not philanthropists]. They invest significant resources in their equipment and deserve to benefit from their efforts. Unfortunately, some are forced to abandon their profession because they struggle to make a living from it. This is particularly true in the context of Cameroon, where such challenges are prevalent, observes Afeseh.

According to Amungwa, the survival of visual storytelling and photojournalism as a whole is dependent on innovation.  “I believe we need to be innovative. Be open to new formats and platforms. A few years ago, vertical video was not a concept heard of, but today it’s the most engaging format for video content. Hence there’s a need to prioritise collaborative storytelling that amplifies development causes,” he says emphasizing that “investing in photographic education and training programmes is crucial.”

Besides training, there is a dire need for economic investments and the payment of royalties by each user. As highlighted by PicRights, “using a photo without paying the royalty is the equivalent of taking money out of a coffee barista’s tip jar—if the barista needed to use those tips to pay for the espresso machine and everything needed to operate it.”

By and large, while the worry about the death of photojournalism, as well as its survival can linger on, photojournalists say the craft can survive, but it will need to adapt to new technologies and media environments. “It won’t look like it did in the past,” says KocherIn.