Even a blind person can now see what is coming…
Yesterday, CBS News fired most of its professional camera staff in its London bureau.
From now on, stories will be shot by producers.
This is not to say that the cameramen at CBS News in London were incompetent.
Far from it.
They were among the best in the business.
But it is a business that can no longer afford them, and a technology that now makes their skills less than necessary.
This is exactly the same thing that happened to professional photographers at places like Time and Life Magazines.
They were also highly skilled, the best in the business, and they too were let go because of changing technologies and changing times.
There will always be TV news in some form.
You may get it on your iPad or online or perhaps even still watch it on TV.
And there is always going to be a call for Video based journalism. If anything, the need for that is only going to expand.
But the idea of being a ‘cameraman’ is as dead as the idea of being a ‘fireman’ on a locomotive.
(those were the guys who shoveled the coal into the boiler to make the steam to keep the train going)
Or perhaps an elevtor operator…
Technology is merciless.
But technology also opens new opportunities, if you are listening.
CBS News announced that henceforth the producers would shoot all the pieces.
First, were I a television producer anywhere in the world I would be learning to shoot video as quickly as possible.
Second, and this I think is more important….
As the professional photographers were the first to go from Time and Life, look at what has happened to those publications.
Life is gone and Time Magazine is the width of a piece of paper. It’s the width of a piece of paper because it has no advertisers.
Newsweek has already been sold for a pittance. Business Week went for $1 to Bloomberg.
As with the magazines, so too will the TV news operations go.
They won’t discuss it.
They prefer the salami-like death of a thousand cuts.
So be it.
But the market for great journalism will always be with us – and in fact with iPad and online, it’s ever stronger.
But the days of being a cameraman… or, I would venture to guess, a performing stand-up on-air reporter are fast drawing to a close.
4 Comments
Nino October 02, 2010
“But the idea of being a ‘cameraman’ is as dead as the idea of being a ‘fireman’ on a locomotive.
(those were the guys who shoveled the coal into the boiler to make the steam to keep the train going)
Or perhaps an elevtor operator…
Technology is merciless.”
Perhaps Michael you should let those half-a-dozen people left who actually look at your blog know that you are referring to the “TV news business” or news business in general.
TV News makes up less than ten percent of the television and video business and it’s the only part of TV that’s bleeding to death, and it’s a catch 22. They must cut costs (and of course salaries) in order to pay the bills thus causing an exodus of intelligence. Smart people are leaving news and moving on to other profession that can reward them for their intelligence; and knowing the sad state of the industry parents and guidance counselors will guide intelligent kids away from the news business. All is left are those who are not intelligent or smart enough to make it anywhere else, like VJs as example.
Once any industry takes away the intelligence factor they are doomed.
As far as the rest of the television business goes is doing better than ever and they are rewarding skills. There’s a critical shortage of skilled cameraman (actually referred to as DP, Director of Photography of simply photographers) as most DP as hand picking who they want to work for, with priority of course those client who are paying the most.
BTW, Cameramen are usually referred to those who operate a hard cameras at sports or similar events.
A TV or Video DP do not operate toy cameras made for unintelligent people who do not understand what it take to create technically perfect images. Full size cameras are what networks and clients require for most shows.
And to place things in proper prospective, in one day an experience DP make as much as an average VJ makes in one month.
Skills are more in demand today than ever before, all it takes is intelligence, something in very short supply today.
Michael Rosenblum October 02, 2010
Nino is quite correct.
So for the other 5 of you (mom, this includes you), we are talking here about cameramen in the news business only.
Nino October 02, 2010
Hi mom, for what’s worth I have a great deal of respect for your little boy. This is all business and nothing personal.
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