Chicago Suntimes Lays Off Entire Photo Staff

Reports are emerging that the The Chicago Sun-Times has laid off its entire photo staff.

According to The Chicago Tribune, 20 full-time staffers in the photo department received layoff notices Thursday. In a statement shared with its chief competitor, the Sun-Times said it was looking to shift more resources to video and other multimedia elements:

“The Sun-Times business is changing rapidly and our audiences are consistently seeking more video content with their news. We have made great progress in meeting this demand and are focused on bolstering our reporting capabilities with video and other multimedia elements. The Chicago Sun-Times continues to evolve with our digitally savvy customers, and as a result, we have had to restructure the way we manage multimedia, including photography, across the network.”

According to the Tribune, the Sun-Times will rely on freelancers for its photography needs going forward.

The Sun-Times is the flagship paper of the privately held Sun-Times Media Group. Faced with declining advertising and circulation revenues, the company declared bankruptcy in 2009. Wrapports LLC agreed to acquire the group in December 2011.

Good luck to all the professional photographers out there trying to find work.  Your best bet is to get an iPhone or Android and become an Instagram photographer. 

Checkout  over 1000 Original #Instagram’s by Beezy (founder of GWOP Magazine) photos available for purchase at Instacanvas

-GWOP Staff