FOREWORD to World Press Photo 07

Why is it that a newspaper can state words that over 60,000 people were killed in a tsunami, even in a bold headline, but it is when a picture of the victims appears that the editor gets numerous letters of concern? Or that it is not the story of US soldiers being killed in Iraq, but a photograph of the event that comes under scrutiny from all sectors and attracts pleas not to publish. Or that a photographer working with the Mahdi Army is accused of being a traitor. All of these events may be reported in words, but it is always the pictures that incite public reaction. They just seem more real.
 
I think this speaks to the power of photojournalism, to its ability to make historical events tangible, to cause an instant visceral reaction. Still images have a way of fixing in your memory in a way that words can not.
 
When I tell someone I am a Director of Photography, they always ask what makes a good picture? They are looking for a definite answer, even if they believe they already know it. Everyone thinks they know what a good photo is, because they have been looking at pictures since before they could read, so in a sense images are a more universal language than text.
 
So what does make a great press photograph? I believe it should be historical, defining a particular time, place, and event. It should be sociological, explaining what people do and what people do to each other. It should have a psychological and emotional tone, making the viewer feel something. It should also have an aesthetic component, drawing in the viewer, urging them to learn more about the story the picture is telling. Above all, it should be truthful. It is this quality of veracity which sets an important picture apart, and which highlights the crucial role of the photojournalist. This is evident in many of in the photos presented here, as photojournalists – often risking great danger – sought fairness in their visual reports while covering the ubiquitous tragedy in civilians’ lives.
 
At first glance you wonder if the situation presented in the World Press Photo of the Year could possibly be true. Yet the people at the center of the photograph, in spite of their affluent appearance, are also refugees.  Is reality simple? Like other winning photos in the contest, this is a complicated picture, truthfully reflecting the complexity reality of the world we live in. And that complexity is what makes us linger even longer.
 
Michele McNally
Chair of the Jury
New York, February 2007
 
Article Courtesy World Press Photo

The 2007 jury:

Chair:

Michele McNally (USA), assistant managing editor The New York Times

Members:
Peter Bialobrzeski (Germany), photographer Laif Photos & Reportagen
Philip Blenkinsop (Australia), photographer Agence Vu
Ruth Eichhorn (Germany), director of photography Geo
Adrian Evans (UK), director Panos Pictures
Maya Goded (Mexico), photographer Magnum Photos
Diego Goldberg (Argentina), photographer
Wen Huang (People's Republic of China), picture editor Xinhua News Agency
Alexander Joe (Zimbabwe), photographer Agence France-Presse
Jerry Lampen (the Netherlands), photographer Reuters
Jean-François Leroy (France), director Visa pour l'Image
Maria Mann (USA), photography consultant
Secretary:
Stephen Mayes (UK), director image archive Art + Commerce Anthology

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