Photojournalism: Third Photograph

This photograph was taken by Chip Somodevilla and it was originally published by Getty Images.

This photograph features a young woman, still living, laying on the grave of a fallen soldier on Memorial Day at the Arlington National Cemetery. The soldier’s name is Noah Pier, and journalists know not how this girl is associated with him; only that she is certainly grieving.

The photograph was taken by photojournalist Chip Somodevilla, and it was originally published by Getty Images. Somodevilla is a staff photographer for Getty Images, a company based in Washington, DC. He graduated from the University of North Texas in 1995, and immediately began work in photography. He has twice been named Michigan Press Photographer of the Year and has won several awards in best photo competitions.

The news values in this photograph are immediate. Impact is huge here, as almost everyone in America has been impacted in some way by war overseas. Proximity is also important here, because, even though the war is being fought in the Middle East, and almost everyone world-wide has been affected, this took place right in our backyard; the capitol of the United States. Currency also plays a large part here. This situation, for almost everyone in the country, is still current. People are still experiencing this kind of grief, and it is a very polarizing subject.