Guillaume Herbaut on the Crisis of Photojournalism in France

The second edition of the Parlement de la Photographie, organized by the French Ministry of Culture, will take place online on May 5 and 6, 2021. In partnership with artpress, the event features a series titled "États de la photographie," starting with an interview of photojournalist Guillaume Herbaut. Herbaut discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to cancel foreign projects and reposition in France, impacting his income as newspapers suffered from advertising drops and the bankruptcy of Presstalis. He notes that only five French newspapers provide adequate resources for photojournalists, and the proliferation of amateur photographers with smartphones has devalued professional work. Herbaut describes photojournalism as a chain where news photographers capture immediate events while documentarians like him explore aftermaths. He criticizes Article 24 of the Global Security Law, which restricts images of police, calling it a legislative validation of attacks on press freedom. He now wears protective gear at protests, a practice he likens to his experience in Ukraine's Maidan Square. Herbaut also laments limited access to President Emmanuel Macron and the datedness of his official portrait featuring iPhones. The interview was conducted by Aurélie Cavanna and Étienne Hatt.