By Zach Henke University of Nebraska-Lincoln Being a daily newspaper photographer has its challenges - marginal pay, stress, competition and deadlines - but it's worth it, said Omaha World-Herald photographer Matt Miller. “It’s tough. The hours suck. You’re not going to make a bunch of money and it doesn’t get any easier (as you get older),” said Miller, 38, in a phone interview. “There’s not a lot of jobs out there. It’s competitive and once you have a job, you could still lose it through layoffs." After attending high school in Brookings, South Dakota, Miller graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in journalism from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. He had three summer internships and a job at the Post-Bulletin in Rochester, Minnesota, before joining the Omaha World-Herald photo staff in 2002. One of the struggles of being a photojournalist is constant deadlines, said Miller. Most photos are due shortly after he photographs them. “Something that I don’t quite think a lot of students understand is that there really isn’t one deadline anymore, everything is a deadline,” he said. Husker football games are among the most stressful to photograph, Miller said. After the game, Sam McKewon, an Omaha World-Herald sports reporter, does a breakdown video of how the game went to post on the World-Herald’s website. “We try to get the breakdown video out as soon as possible because it’s one of our most viewed videos. If we’re 15 minutes late on that, it doesn’t cost us any money, but if we’re late on the still photos it could cost us thousands of dollars,” Miller said. Miller said another important part of working as a photojournalist is having a good relationship with the photo editor. Miller typically edits his photos and transmits them, but an editor chooses which photos are published. Photographers and photo editors often discuss coverage, photo choices and ethics. But late at night, for example, there is no photo editor, Miller said. Miller stressed the importance of photo editors. “That is what I feel is one of the most important things that a lot of newspapers are lacking now,” he said. “I can shoot something amazing and if nobody sees it, is it still important? Will it still get people excited or change anybody’s mind? Because of that, editors are extremely important.” Miller said he's encountered ethical dilemmas as well and leans on a photo editor for advice. On Christmas, Miller was shooting a feature on the saddest place to be on Christmas. He was at the pediatric ICU in a hospital when a baby died, and he took the photos. He took photos of the nurses making casts of the baby’s hands and feet to give to the parents, and then he followed them down to the morgue. The photos ran online, but were deemed too sensitive to run in the newspaper. “I talked with the editors and we decided that for a Dec. 26 newspaper, running a picture of a dead baby would be too much. I would’ve liked to see the photo run because I think that it would’ve had a lot of impact. However, I do understand why the editor made that decision. I can see both sides of it,” Miller said. There are different standards for online photos, he said. "I think you can get away with a little bit more online because it’s not just sitting out there on the counter and hitting you over the head," he said. “Usually online things seem to come and go. It’s almost like a video. With a video, you can have the same moment as a still photo and it just doesn’t register as much." Miller said being a photojournalist has its perks. He meets new people, gets to know his community and is learning every day. “I enjoy not being in an office," he said. "I enjoy meeting different people and seeing things not everyone gets to see. I love solving problems and don't mind deadline pressure.” And, on occasion, his photos move someone. “The rewarding part is rare,” he said. “Every once in a while, a photo will be important. It's not going to change the world, but maybe someone will appreciate the view it gives them or make them feel something they didn't know existed, and that's pretty rewarding.”
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A note about the content: This site showcases the final projects of University of Nebraska-Lincoln editing students. Each semester, students pick a journalist or communications professional to profile. This is their work.
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