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Editorial - June-July 2009 - part 1 of 1

by Mike McNamee Published 01/06/2009

It is quite difficult to unravel the truth from the corrupting nature of the media's attempt to sell more newspapers. Doom and gloom seems to sell more issues, although the revelations on the MPs' expenses have provided endless entertainment from all sectors of the media machine. The recession then, may not be as bad as it is being written, but our mood is being poisoned by the greed of the newspapers in peddling their gloom. This has knockon, self-fulfilling consequences.

In particular, the trend for photographers in the commercial sector remains perilous. Low advertising equals less commissioned work or tighter budgets. The building sector has taken a huge hit, figures of 900% falls have been bandied about for architectural practices. This sort of thing will not come home to roost for the photographers for some time yet, as the work in progress is, in the main, ongoing. It is the new-starts that will be hit leaving a gap in a couple of year's time.

The magazines that many of us buy are getting thinner and thinner. One that I subscribe to has had 132pages, every issue, since 2002. The latest has just 84 pages, that is over 60% reduction of its regular size. The advertising has fallen to 50% of its 2002 level (40 pages in 132 down to 22 pages in 84) although the total number of pages of advertising has hovered around 22 for the last couple of years. At least we are a little more insulated from these pressures as our membership figures remain as strong as ever. Now is the time, though, to exploit your membership benefits - look for every opportunity to save on costs and gain on income, polish your act, learn some new skills and seek every commercial opportunity that comes your way.

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1st Published 01/06/2009
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