Apr 18th 2019

In late 2018, local photojournalist Sebastiรกn Hidalgo took on a Washington Post assignment to document the story of Isaac Flores, a 11 year-old from Honduras who was separated from his mother at the border in January 2018. Disturbed by other national mediaโ€™s emphasis on the wall, Hidalgo chose to focus on Floresโ€™ day to day life as a child to rehumanize the conversation on immigration. Hidalgo frames this approach as an antidote to the โ€œif it bleeds it leadsโ€ philosophy in photojournalism.

What is “shock value” photojournalism and how can photographers pursue a different path? Thatโ€™s what Hidalgo will be sharing at this weekโ€™s Public Newsroom. Weโ€™ll learn about other photographers taking a similar approach, how to work with editors and how Hidalgo co-created a support group for Chicago-based photographers, The Visual Desk. Together weโ€™ll develop frameworks that photographers can follow.

About Hidalgo: Sebastiรกn Hidalgo is an award-winning photojournalist and digital producer who uses photography to engage and explore many social and humanitarian issues affecting communities of color. He is also a educator and co-host of The Visual Desk, a bi-weekly editorial support group for concerned and engaged freelance visual journalists.


City Bureau’s #PublicNewsroom is a series of free, weekly workshops and discussions aimed at building trust between journalists and the communities they serve while shaping a more inclusive newsroom.

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