The end of an Era

[ColinM]

For anyone in the UK, it's almost too late to get a copy of the last edition of The Independent newspaper. It is following many others and switching to online (with a small tabloid version remaining available in paper form).

They included a selection of notable images or events over the past 30 years.
Hopefully this site is accessible outside the UK - let me know if not

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/a-celebration-of-the-independents-unique-photography-a6951956.html

[Bjørn Rørslett]

It is accessible. Thanks for the heads-up and link.

[Akira]

Colin, thanks for the link.  The images remind me of the importance of capturing the moment, film or digital.

Here in Japan, no major newspapers have moved to 100% online.  There are so many people who depend on delivering newspapers to make their living.  Also, the publishing system is still print-centric.  No major newspapers offer online-only subscription. 

[ColinM]

Thanks Bjorn & Akira.

I'd be interested to know what the quality of photographic coverage is in the printed newspapers you each have in your own countries.

In the UK, publishers are slowly reducing the size of their newspapers, but some (e.g. the Guardian) still publish colour and B&W photos up to 640x470cm from time to time. I think the Telegraph is the one remaining newspaper with the largest sized paper. I'd don't read it (wrong politics for me) so don't know if they ever make full use of this to show photos at their biggest & best.

Interestingly, compared to the material that's usually used to accompany news stories, the stuff printed above really demonstrates the skills of these press & freelance photographers.

Given how many people now rely on a device a few cm each way, about the only time they see what quality is possible now is on roadside adverts. Sadly, the content there is somewhat limited, so this is the start of a major loss of places for photographers to show their skills.

[Akira]

The quality of the paper used by newspapers is too inadequate to appreciate the quality of the images from skilled photographers, again, film or digital.  Japanese newspapers do print some color images on their "papers", but you cannot expect much, of course.  The most of the national and the regional newspapers are printed in the "full" size here.

Considering that most of the newspapers have annual exhibitions to present large prints of their best images of each year, which partially indicates their frustration at the (low) quality of the images on the newspapers. 

[ColinM]

most of the national and the regional newspapers are printed in the "full" size here.

And do they ever print large size images that make full use of a single or double page spread?

[Akira]

And do they ever print large size images that make full use of a single or double page spread?

Not too often.  They use much of their spaces for the ads which often uses a whole space of a single page or even a double page spread.  Another reason for the large format would be that our letters are more complicated than the alphabets, and the fonts need to be larger to be readable in the first place!