‘Photojournalism Is More About Curiosity Than Courage’

Filipino-American photojournalist Cheryl Diaz Meyer, this year’s co-winner of the Pulitzer Prize for breaking-news photography, on “the art of making photos about life”

By Carlos H. Conde 
PinoyPress
Reposted by Bulatlat.com

In the 87-year history of the Pulitzer Prizes, print journalism’s highest honor, only three journalists of Filipino descent had won the prize:

* Carlos P. Romulo of the Philippines Herald, 1942 (correspondence), “for his observations and forecasts of Far Eastern developments during a tour of the trouble centers from Hong Kong to Batavia;

* Alex Tizon of the Seattle Times (sharing the prize with colleagues Eric Nalder and Deborah Nelson), 1997 (investigative reporting), “for their investigation of widespread corruption and inequities in the federally-sponsored housing program for Native Americans, which inspired much-needed reforms”; and

* Byron Acohido, also of the Seattle Times, 1997 (beat reporting), “for his coverage of the aerospace industry, notably an exhaustive investigation of rudder control problems on the Boeing 737, which contributed to new FAA requirements for major improvements.”

This month, another name was added to that distinguished list of the best journalists in the world: Cheryl Diaz Meyer, a multi-awarded Filipino-American photojournalist who works for the Dallas Morning News. She, along with fellow News photographer David Leeson, won this year’s Pulitzer for breaking-news photography. The Pulitzer citation reads: “…for their eloquent photographs depicting both the violence and poignancy of the war with Iraq.”

A staff photographer for the Dallas Morning News, Meyer is known for her photographs of conflicts. She photographed the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, receiving awards for that assignment, including the Overseas Press Club’s John Faber Award. She has covered the Philippines, Indonesia, Guatemala, and, most recently, Iraq, where she was embedded with the U.S. Marines.

Meyer was born in Legaspi City, Albay, and studied at the St. Agnes Academy up to first year high school. In 1981, her family immigrated to the U.S. when her older brothers were getting close to college because, according to her, “we felt we would have more opportunities available for us.”

She studied German and French, graduating cum laude from the University of Minnesota-Duluth in 1990. Four years later, she earned another degree, this time in journalism, with emphasis in photojournalism, from the Western Kentucky University.

Meyer then worked as an intern at newspapers, among them the Washington Post. In 1994, the Minneapolis Star Tribune hired her as staff photographer. In 2000, she moved to the Dallas Morning News.

Meyer has been married for one and a half years -- to an American, not to a German, as the Philippine Daily Inquirer erroneously reported. “I never changed my name to my husband's name.  My father is Meyer and my mother is Diaz, so my byline is the Filipino traditional way of naming,” Meyer said in an email interview with PinoyPress.

Meyer says she’s “very tenacious” about her work. “I just don’t give up until I feel I have done the best that I can.”

This is a cliché but I’ll ask it nonetheless: How does it feel to win the Pulitzer?

It is simply amazing. This is the stuff that dreams are made of, but it’s hard to believe that it has actually happened to me.

What was the first thing you did after learning that you and David Lesson won?

We jumped for joy and cheered, hugging each other and then our spouses. Then we spent the next hour or so sharing our happiness with our fellow photographers and managers. The photography staff met at a pub in Dallas and celebrated for an hour, and then my husband took me to the airport, since I had an overseas assignment that took me out of the country that night.

What drove you to photojournalism?

I had taken some art photography classes at the University of Minnesota in Duluth and part-way through my German degree, I went to study art for one year in Versailles, France.  During that time, I visited many museums and became familiar with some of the great photojournalists of the 20th century and was truly mesmerized by the work.  I would spend hours studying books of their images.  The work was so incredible that I literally thought I was high.  That was when I knew I had to learn the art of making photos about life, i.e. photojournalism.

You've been to a lot of places, many of them conflict zones, and photojournalists are almost always more courageous than us reporters, you being more drawn to your subjects. I couldn't even look at a corpse! Where'd you get the courage?

I think what I do has more to do with curiosity than courage.  It is truly amazing to witness the news as it happens. 

Have you had the chance to study Philippine photojournalism?

Unfortunately, no.  But I do know that the Philippines has some very, very talented photojournalists.

We have had really, really talented photojournalists, one of them the late Willy Vicoy and some working now for the wires, like AFP's Romy Gacad, AP's Bullitt Marquez... 

I am sorry to say that I am only familiar with Bullit Marquez.  Many, many years ago when I came home to the Philippines for the first time in 17 years after my family immigrated, I had the good fortune to meet him at the Associated Press offices in Manila.  I had shot photos of the elections in Albay and he helped me get my film processed.  Also, I had gotten laryngitis and he kindly was being my voice.  Lastly, Bullit is Bikolano, and of course I had to like him for that!  I started to notice his photos after that and have continued to admire his work.

How is it working for the Dallas Morning News?

The Dallas Morning News has a fabulous staff of photographers and it is truly a pleasure working there.  I admire my coworkers very much.  Ken Geiger, the director of photography, is also very good to me and gives me plenty of opportunities to grow. 

Was it tough getting in?

Tough is relative.  I actually wasn't looking for a job at the time, but a former co-worker who took a job as a photo editor at the DMN, Anne Farrar, called me and asked me to submit a portfolio.  I told her I was happy where I was, but she convinced me to send some images.  I did send some images and it progressed from there.  I guess they saw how I might fit into the staff and I saw new opportunities for growth.

I had met John H. Davidson, the former assistant managing editor of visuals, at Western Kentucky University when I was a student and I had always hoped that I might have the opportunity to work with him one day.  That day came in early 2000. 

What do you think are the greatest challenges now in photojournalism? I once read about a noted photojournalist who said that the challenge  is not so much facing the tremendous risks in the field but in making people keep their faith in the power of the photograph. He said that in the context of our times being digital, with ethical questions being raised left and  right about journalism, including photojournalism.

 I would tend to agree. Also, I would add that at a time when people all over the world are becoming so visually savvy, they are bombarded with imagery every where they turn, it is even more critical that photojournalists challenge themselves as providers of information to see things in new and creative ways, to be sophisticated in their vision, and to tell stories that are impactful through excellent images and tight editing. Reposted by Bulatlat.com

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