Prestigious photojournalism award named after someone recipients wouldn’t know
Greg Crowder was not a famous photojournalist. According to the Arizona State University website, he was an alumnus of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He worked in the student newspaper, The State Press, and The Arizona Republic. Later he moved to California and worked at the Riverside Enterprise-Press. Colleagues who worked with him at the Arizona Republic remember him fondly. They said he was a nice person and good journalist who cared about his work. He passed away in 2005. The details of his death were never released to the public. The only thing known was that he died at home. Those who knew him were shocked and saddened by the tragedy. There is no obituary to be found but his parents, Troy and Betsy Crowder, would not let their son be forgotten.
Troy Crowder is a retired Cronkite professor and worked in the ASU Office of the President. In 2007, the Crowders created the Greg Crowder Photojournalism Endowment at ASU to fund the photojournalism program including equipment and visits from photojournalist.
Photojournalism, like most specializations in the Cronkite school besides Sports journalism, is a subject of a small number of the many classes offered. In spring 2018, only two classes of Photojournalism 1 and one Sports photojournalism class was offered. In fall 2018, Photojournalism 2 will be added making a total of four classes for the specific subject. However, there a few more classes that allow students to learn skills needed in photojournalism. The class Multimedia Journalism teaches students the basics of photography, videography, the adobe suite and social media. Another is class is Advanced Online Media which requires students to take their own photos to be used in larger projects such as visual stories and social media posts.
All students have access to top of the line equipment such as mics, cameras, and even 360 gopros. The access is limited depending on the classes being taken by the students to ensure they know to use it. This equipment can be checked out from the Broadcast Lab free of charge for up to 36 hours.
In 2010, the Greg Crowder Memorial Photojournalism award was created to “inspire photojournalism students here for generations to come.” It is one of the most prestigious awards for those interested in photojournalism and is a great was for young photojournalist to demonstrate their skills and talents. The winner receives $1,000 and the five finalist have their work displayed on the third floor of the Cronkite building in downtown Phoenix. There is also a reception to honor the winners at the beginning of the fall semester.
In 2016 and 2017, the winner was Courtney Pedroza. Reilly Kneedler won second place in 2016 and the honorable mention in 2017. Ben Moffat was an honorable mention in 2015- 2016 and won second place in 2017.
Some requirements for students are to submit six to eight photographs that have been taken in the last year that demonstrate a range of abilities and subjects; write a caption for each photo and for each photo to follow SPJ ethical standards on alterations.
These standards tend to boil down to journalist should not manipulate the photo to push an agenda or create false context. This includes cropping or blurring important markers, adding elements and making major changes to color, brightness, and contrast. That is not to say journalists can not make minor corrections to increase the quality of the photo.
In today’s modern world where everyone has a camera attached to their hand (smartphones), the question of who is a photojournalist or journalist in general is being asked more frequently. However, true photojournalist don’t just take a picture. They capture a story within a picture or series of pictures. It takes major skills and dedication to be a Steve McCurry or a Greg Crowder Memorial Photojournalism Award recipient.
