Assignment Workflow
Assignment Details
Once a photographer has agreed to take on an assignment, provide them with a contract and assignment details.
For the assignment details, provide:
The who, what, where, when and why
Share an outline or a draft of the story
Contact information of the source
Contact info for the reporter writing the story
Newsroom contact to call with questions/issues
This helps the photojournalist form a connection with the source and understand useful story context that will inform the style and content of the images.
For example, if it’s a story about bankruptcy, you don’t want an upbeat, high-key (bright) image.
Captions:
Caption expectations should be laid out prior to the assignment. Ask photographers to confirm basic details with sources including but not limited to the spelling of their names, their ages and relevant background information.
Captions should be concise and written in present tense, spanning at least two sentences:
The first sentence details the who, what, where and when of the image and should include the city, state, country (when appropriate) and date.
The second (and possibly third) sentence should provide contextual information and/or a source quote to help readers understand what they see in the image.
Identify all people in the image, unless large groups make it cumbersome to do so. When identifying multiple people, use directionals (left to right). For unusual spellings, write (CQ) following the name to indicate correct spelling.
For example:
From left, film director Resita Cox (CQ) and production coordinator Alexis Bell begin production on the documentary Basketball Heaven on Jan. 11, 2024, in Kinston, N.C. Basketball Heaven showcases a Southern Black community’s resilience, exploring how communal bonds and mentors shape local athletes. The film highlights the importance of healing and community love in the survival and success of Black people. Photo by Donnie Seals Jr.
Photographers should embed the captions in the images and/or on a Google Doc provided by the newsroom. If you prefer captions in a Google Doc where you have the story, that’s fine, but be sure you have ownership of the document so that you don’t have to continually ask for access if the permissions are not accurately set.
To optimize search functions, we also recommend that photographers and editors embed obvious keywords that would be used to search for the photos. By embed, we mean including the details in the file information for the image. Learn more about building search-optimized archives under Manage Content.
Delivery and Payment:
Let the visual journalist know approximately how many images to deliver and what format. Here are some guidelines to consider:
Should they be a mixture of vertical and landscape or just landscape? (Landscape is often preferred for the web.)
Would you like the captions embedded in the file or in a Google Doc?
Would you like full-resolution images, which are needed for print, or are web-sized images (72 DPI) sufficient?
Do you have a preference for how the images are delivered, like through Google Drive or Dropbox?
And lastly, what is the deadline for delivery?
Timely payments are essential for freelancers to stay in business. Let them know where to send their invoice and W9. Here are some specifics to consider:
Do they need to create a profile on a payroll platform?
How will you confirm the amount of payment (i.e. will it be via the contract or written correspondence)?
When can they expect payment?
Lastly, do you cover expenses such as mileage?
