What is News?
Demotix is a news-wire, and we are committed to serious journalism. For the benefit of all our photographers and journalists, we can only publish images which are newsworthy and interesting. But what counts as news? At Demotix, the answer is simple. Do your photos tell a story? If so, then we want to see them.
Current events
When people think of news, they usually think of the stories and photographs which will appear on today's newspaper front-pages - a significant occurrence which is ongoing or recent. News is often new to people.
Protests such as this one from Taiwan are important, and the photograph was uploaded within hours of it taking place. Everyone would recognize an event such as this as news, and if you are then when it happens your photos will be highly newsworthy.
Local perspective
But it doesn't have to be front-page stuff. Some of our best pictures are of subjects of interest to a specific or localized audience.
This crash on the highway to Abu Dhabi probably won't be of much interest to a visitor or newspaper editor in Vienna. But to an Emirati, perhaps one of the thousands who regularly uses this road, this would be interesting news.
Similarly, regional elections in Venezuela or this fire in South Africa are great examples of news.
Features
But our pictures aren't all breaking events. We also want to see photographs which explore unreported issues.
This photograph of a blind woman in Uganda was uploaded as part of a story about life with sight-problems in the country. It prompts viewers to consider an aspect of African life that they may have not previously considered.
Another example, this time from Milan, is photography from a tattoo convention. They are striking images, and provide a fascinated insight into an industry few people have contact with.
Also think of it the other way round - what would people in Uganda find unusual, interesting or important about life in other parts of the world? How would they respond to nomadic life in Yamal or Christmas illuminations in Tokyo?
If your photos tell a story, then we want to see them.
