Reuters - Worldwide Ban on RAW Photos

Just saw this on Facebook, so I clicked on Reuters


Reuters Issues a Worldwide Ban on RAW Photos

Reuters has implemented a new worldwide policy for freelance photographers that bans photos that were processed from RAW files. Photographers must now only send photos that were originally saved to their cameras as JPEGs.

The announcement was made to freelance photographers this week via this short email from a Reuters pictures editor:

Hi,

I’d like to pass on a note of request to our freelance contributors due to a worldwide policy change.. In future, please don’t send photos to Reuters that were processed from RAW or CR2 files. If you want to shoot raw images that’s fine, just take JPEGs at the same time. Only send us the photos that were originally JPEGs, with minimal processing (cropping, correcting levels, etc).
Cheers,
​

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A Reuters spokesperson has confirmed this policy change with PetaPixel, and says that the decision was made to increase both ethics and speed.
“As photojournalists working for the world’s largest international multimedia news provider, Reuters Pictures photographers work in line with our Photographer’s Handbook and the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles,” Reuters says.
“As eyewitness accounts of events covered by dedicated and responsible journalists, Reuters Pictures must reflect reality. While we aim for photography of the highest aesthetic quality, our goal is not to artistically interpret the news.”
Restricting photographers to original JPEGs will also reduce the time it takes for photos to go from camera to client, Reuters says.
“Speed is also very important to us. We have therefore asked our photographers to skip labour and time consuming processes to get our pictures to our clients faster.”
RAW photos do allow for a greater degree of post-processing flexibility, so based on the new policy, it appears that Reuters found that photos processed from RAWs are more likely to distort the truth.


Reuters Issues a Worldwide Ban on RAW Photos

Makes sense and the photog can upload instantly for news impact. If I were a photojournalist I'd probably shoot raw and jpeg, gotta beat the iphones so you can feed the family!

Maybe value of DSLR's famous for brilliant JPEG images will go up.

Sony A100 and Nikon D200 come to mind....

Jpeg is no more "real" than RAW files are "real". (or png or nef or dng or...)

It will also reduce the number if 1st run quality reprints being available as file degradation will start from the first time its used.

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I dont agree with this, you are trusting the camera to get the shot you are wanting it to get ...

A few points I picked up on:

with minimal processing (cropping, correcting levels, etc).

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If they are going to ban editing a RAW file they need to ban editing in any shape of form period imo

Speed is also very important to us. We have therefore asked our photographers to skip labour and time consuming processes to get our pictures to our clients faster.

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Again it depends who you get to process it, People work to the speed you give them, if you need a certain photo up in the world within minutes then a photographer can do that if they needed to.

It strikes me as a very dumb decision. It might slightly affect speed, but still, I doubt it can stand very long (when the competition has the picture, and Reuters doesn't).

Perhaps if the media hadn't reduced or eliminated their photography staffs, they wouldn't have this problem because they could trust their images as their own.

Just another example of how everyone seems to care less about actual quality as time goes on.

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I'm with Reuters on this one. It's for a news service not a photo essay of a baby beauty pageant. They don't have time for "give me another hour so I can add some layers and make the blood-red 'pop' even more! (and my WB is all screwed up too ... oh God!)"

lorenbrothers said:

I'm with Reuters on this one. It's for a news service not a photo essay of a baby beauty pageant. They don't have time for "give me another hour so I can add some layers and make the blood-red 'pop' even more! (and my WB is all screwed up too ... oh God!)"

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Raw no doubt allows many things, but it only takes a few seconds to adjust white balance and exposure and maybe straightening and cropping to make a very decent "regular" picture. I think the loss is Reuters.