How to collaborate effectively with freelance photographers, streamline workflows and harness visuals to increase revenue and engagement

Prism Photo is thrilled to announce our Visual Journalism Toolkit, a free resource for news outlets that want to improve how they use visuals in their newsroom and how they engage with freelance photographers.

It includes guidance on how to find diverse photographers, develop clear contracts, create search-optimized image libraries, use vetted stock resources, harness visuals to increase revenue and much more. It also emphasizes equitable working conditions to promote sustainability and diversity in the industry.

Photojournalism is a vital part of local news because it drives reader engagement, increases revenue and tells stories in ways other media cannot. Studies show that images impact emotions faster and more powerfully than words and that stories with visuals garner 94% more total views.

Yet, many local news organizations lack dedicated visual staff — like directors of photography, photo editors and photojournalists — able to create and maximize the use of impactful, quality visual journalism. This absence of visual expertise can diminish newsrooms’ return on their investment in journalism and limit how and if audiences engage with their reporting.

Our toolkit bridges that gap by providing guidance for editors managing visuals. The practical resources in our toolkit equip newsrooms with the knowledge needed to manage visuals to grow audiences, increase revenue and improve community trust in media. 

Our toolkit offers newsrooms guidance to…

Find Diverse Freelancers

Photojournalism can be a tool to see all the varied stories of the world or one that reinforces the status quo of a homogenous society. That’s why the diversity of people behind the camera matters: who they are affects which stories are told and how. In our toolkit, access U.S. and international photographer databases in order to hire photojournalists who reflect the communities they cover. And, use our freelancer intake form to create your own database.

Work with Visual Journalists

Streamlining the onboarding processes and assignment workflows leads to fewer follow-up emails, phone calls and mistakes. Offering plain-spoken contracts provides clarity, protection and accountability for both parties, leading to more trust and long-term relationships between newsrooms and the journalists they commission.

Manage Content

Use captions and keywords to build a search-optimized library, which enables you to find and use past images with ease. This is useful when looking for images for future newsletters, social media or stories that include public figures who have already been photographed. Review options for stock photography and AI-generated images and learn about the positives and challenges of working with both.

Harness Visuals for Engagement and Revenue

News organizations can further their return on their investments in visuals by developing projects that directly increase engagement and revenue. In our toolkit, find two case studies you can replicate in your own newsroom.

Why does this matter?

As newsrooms increasingly rely on visuals made by freelance photojournalists they must invest in them through training, equitable contracts and livable wages. Otherwise, newsrooms will soon experience a dearth of trained photojournalists, especially those from more diverse backgrounds.

Our toolkit emphasizes diversity and equity because photojournalists are often the only newsroom representatives on the ground. If they reflect the diversity of communities newsrooms cover, they can provide nuanced coverage and build community trust. 

When audiences engage with local journalists, they are more likely to trust and pay for the news product. Hiring and resourcing freelancers with diverse viewpoints is then integral to news industry sustainability, and equitable newsroom practices are key to sustaining pools of diverse freelance journalists. Visit our first Reynolds Journalism Institute article to learn more about the importance of diversity in visual journalism.

The diversity and sustainability of the photojournalism industry is at a crossroads. The everyday choices that newsrooms make now around visuals will lay the groundwork for what the industry will look like for years to come.

Who is behind the toolkit?

Prism Photo co-directors and co-founders Michelle Kanaar and Alyssa Schukar produced this project with support from the Reynolds Journalism Institute.

Prism Photo supports diverse photojournalists to tell the stories of underrepresented people and communities with dignity through education, mentoring, funding, community and a free yearly workshop.

We also collaborate with local newsrooms to offer tailored practical resources for working with visuals. If you are interested in our services, reach out to info@prismphotoworkshop.org

If you know of additional resources we should include in the toolkit, would like to provide feedback, collaborate or raise specific questions or topics that you would like to be included, please email info@prismphotoworkshop.org 

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Cite this article

Kanaar, Michelle; and Schukar, Alyssa (2025, Feb. 24). Elevate your newsroom’s visual storytelling with this free toolkit. Reynolds Journalism Institute. Retrieved from: https://rjionline.org/news/elevate-your-newsrooms-visual-storytelling-with-this-free-toolkit/