Pulitzer-winning photographer sees big changes in press coverage of presidential campaigns

As usual, a deep bench of media talent is reporting and photographing the 2024 election. But how presidential campaigns are covered has changed dramatically, says a veteran New York Times photographer who won the Pulitzer Prize three times .

“Political coverage now is so different than it was when I covered my first political campaign, Bill Clinton in 1992,” says photojournalist Ruth Fremson , who has documented politics, war, the 9-11 attack, and news around the globe.

Fremson — informed by vast experience — cites these shifts in how the press covers presidential campaigns:

More women

“The number of female photographers has grown a great deal since I began. Sometimes our press pools can be almost exclusively women, a dramatic shift over the past decades,” says Fremson, who worked for The Associated Press 1994-2000; she joined The New York Times in 2000.

Press planes passé

“Neither the Trump nor the Harris campaign has a press plane,” Fremson says. “Journalists are scrambling to chase the candidates around the country via commercial airlines, which is no small feat when candidates’ schedules are constantly in flux and information is dribbled out slowly.”

In the 1992 Bush-Clinton election, “there was an enormous traveling press corps that included entire network TV teams with big-name corespondents, their producers, cameramen, and sound people,” Fremson recalls.

Press planes were at times flying parties, complete with seats decorated by those who occupied them, she says.

The presidential plane, Air Force One, has accommodations for traveling press, guests, advisors, and Secret Service officers.

Changing role of news magazines

“The weekly news magazines used to have seemingly bottomless?budgets for their photographers,” she says. “They would negotiate with the campaigns for special, behind-the-scenes access and produce gorgeous black and white photo essays during the campaign year.”

Transition from film to digital + hyper deadlines

“When I first began, the industry was still using film,” says Fremson. “We would hand off our rolls of film to a colleague waiting on a tarmac or?a second photographer at an event. They would process, edit, and transmit the photos. Often, I never saw my own negatives afterwards.”

Fremson continues: “Digital photography changed that and gave some control over their work back to the photographers. These days though, with the increased deadline pressure of live blogs and constant online updates, many photographers are filing directly from their cameras, foregoing even basic toning.”

Campaigns vs the press

Overall, the relationship between media and presidential campaigns seems more contentious, Fremson says. Plus, the campaigns use their own social media platforms to control their messages and “seem less concerned with mainstream legacy media.”

Tech changes

As technology changes, perhaps a constant is the press instinct to protect and keep track of equipment. Fremson has covered conflict and the aftermath of the 9-11 terrorists’ attack. But as a new employee of The New York Times, she worried about explaining a lost beeper.

“Covering the McCain for President campaign in 2000, we were still using beepers and cell phones,” Fremson recalls. “Onboard the campaign plane, I accidentally dropped my beeper into the toilet and that was the end of the beeper. I was terrified to call my editor and let him know. After a pause, he burst out laughing and couldn’t stop. Of course, I was awfully relieved.”

Connection to Ohio University

Now based in Seattle, Fremson joined the Masters program at Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication in the fall of 1987. Legendary National Geographic director Robert Gilka recommended her.

This year Fremson covered the Iowa Caucus, Nikki Haley’s presidential bid, the Democratic National Convention, and the presidential race. In her travels, she sees other Ohio Univeristy-trained photojournalists such as freelancers Rachel Mummey (Des Moines), Maddie McGarvey (Columbus), and Jeff Swensen (Pittsburgh), as well as Frank Franklin II of The Associated Press who is based in New York.?

“ Ohio University alumni saturate our field. They are some of the best out there,” says Fremson.

Some New York Times articles feature photos by more than one Ohio University alum, such as The Times‘ October 19 report from bellwether western Pennsylvania that published pictures by Fremson and Pittsburgh-based freelancer Jeff Swensen. On August 22, The Times’ wrap up of the Democratic National Convention included photos by Fremson and Haiyun Jiang , a New York Times Fellow based in Washington, DC who earned a Masters of Fine Arts degree from Ohio University in 2022.

The next generation

“Haiyun is one of the hardest working and best new talents working in politics these days,” says Fremson. “She has a beautiful eye and a killer work ethic.”

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