In the 1970s, the POW Homecoming (1974) Pulitzer Prize Winner was taken. This photo demonstrates a lot of emotion. You can see the pure and utter happiness and joy of the soldier’s family and friends as they see him, for the first time in (most likely) years. The woman in front is literally jumping for joy as she runs to greet the man. The man looks still, however, and is walking at a steady pace. He has been traumatized and will most likely never get the horror out of his mind. He seems to be preoccupied with his thoughts as he is rushed by his friends and family.
In the 1980s, the Texas Cowboy (1980) Pulitzer Prize Winner was taken. This photo is different from the previous melancholy photos. In this photo, a cowboy dressed in a button up shirt, suspenders, boots, and a black hat is sitting on a bench, inside of what looks to be a pub, eating out of a metal plate he is holding to his lap and drinking out of a metal mug. This photo stuck out because the photographer of this photo, Erwin H Hagler, described photojournalists as wanting to be seen as invisible. This man sitting down enjoying his meal also feels invisible. He is tucked away, away from everyone else, and silently enjoying his meal, seen but unseen.
From the 1990s, there was a Pulitzer prize winner from the 1993 Barcelona Olympics. This photo is light-hearted and almost comical. This photo appears to be taken after an Olympic wrestling match. The victor is seen doing a headstand out of happiness from his victory, while his losing opponent looks utterly crushed and defeated in the background. This photo invokes a feeling of happiness and has a comedic feel to it.
Photojournalism is the art or practice of communicating news by photographs. Photojournalists face enormous safety and security challenges. They are easily identified, they carry heavy often expensive equipment, and by necessity need to be close to the action, all of which makes them particularly vulnerable. Also, the pay is not too great, averaging at 22,000-48,000 dollars a year. For these brave men and women, however, photojournalism is more than a job. To these people, photojournalism tells people a story more than words ever can. By going to dangerous, war-riddled places, photojournalists can show the greater American (or other nationalities) public what is going on in the world around them.
