Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05SANSALVADOR2195
2005-08-08 20:37:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy San Salvador
Cable title:  

Speaker Program Evaluation - Photojournalism

Tags:  OIIP KPAO ES 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SAN SALVADOR 002195 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR IIP/G/WHA-JMANES, IIP/T/GIC-JBOCHNER, WHA/PDA-
RQUIROZ, WHA/CEN-PDEGLER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KPAO ES
SUBJECT: Speaker Program Evaluation - Photojournalism
workshops with U.S. Speaker Essdras Suarez

NAME OF THE SPEAKER, PROGRAM DATES, PROGRAM EXPENSES

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SAN SALVADOR 002195

SIPDIS

STATE FOR IIP/G/WHA-JMANES, IIP/T/GIC-JBOCHNER, WHA/PDA-
RQUIROZ, WHA/CEN-PDEGLER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: OIIP KPAO ES
SUBJECT: Speaker Program Evaluation - Photojournalism
workshops with U.S. Speaker Essdras Suarez

NAME OF THE SPEAKER, PROGRAM DATES, PROGRAM EXPENSES


1. PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING PHOTOJOURNALIST ESSDRAS SUAREZ
OF THE BOSTON GLOBE SHARED HIS EXPERTISE IN LECTURES,
WORKSHOPS, AND FIELD REPORTING TRIPS WITH SALVADORAN
PHOTOJOURNALISTS FROM JULY 26-31. SUAREZ PROVED TO BE AN
EXCELLENT AND ENGAGING SPEAKER, WHO CONNECTED EQUALLY WELL
WITH BEAT REPORTERS/PHOTOGRAPHERS AND SENIOR EDITORS. POST
WOULD WELCOME HIM BACK AND RECOMMENDS HIM HIGHLY TO OTHER
POSTS SHOULD HIS PAPER AGREE.


2. The Boston Globe paid most of Suarez's expenses; the
Journalists Association of El Salvador (APES) helped
organize the program and secured facilities at the
Universidad Tecnologica as a venue. PAS contributed a $1000
honorarium, via APES, and hosted a representational dinner.

SUMMARY OF EVENTS/VENUES/AUDIENCES


3. The entire program was done in San Salvador, the
country's political and media capital. Suarez held a
conference for 150 communications students (ages 18-23),
visited four newspapers, went out on assignments with
Salvadoran photojournalists, and taught two workshops for an
audience of 32 Salvadoran photo reporters (Note: the
national registry only lists 45 photojournalists in the
entire country). He also had the opportunity to share
experiences with the newspaper managers and photo editors
during a PAS-sponsored dinner.


4. The events were scheduled to coincide with National
Journalism Day, celebrated July 31. In the meetings, Suarez
discussed topics such as the use of graphic images to convey
graphic content, the advantages and disadvantages of
different kinds of light (natural, flash, etc.),focal
points in composition, entry and escape points in an image,
the use of negative space vs. positive space, layering,
cropping, different lenses and their effect on image content
and message, and finally digital photo equipment.

SPEAKER BACKGROUND

5. Photojournalist Essdras Suarez (a native of Panama who
moved to the U.S. in 1988) graduated in 1993 from the
College of Journalism and Communications, where he
specialized in photojournalism. He shared a Pulitzer Prize
for his coverage of the Columbine High School tragedy in

2000. In that same year, he also won the Robert F. Kennedy
Journalism Award for his story following the journey home of
the body of a 14-year old Guatemalan boy killed when a
vanload of unidentified immigrant workers crashed on a rural
road in Colorado. He knows his stuff and was able to connect
with all of his audiences.

EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SPEAKER

6. Suarez was able to convey clearly the abstract concepts
that go into the art of photography. He was well-prepared
for the visit, having looked over several issues of all
local newspapers to find examples of good photographs, which
he then used as the basis for his discussions on how they
might be made better. He also projected on-screen his own
photos, showing the concepts he had discussed and inviting
discussion and criticism from the participants.

7. Suarez's presentations were compelling for the audience,
and they provoked extended and thoughtful discussion.
Several participants came to the second day's workshops
based on the strong recommendations of photojournalist
colleagues, and one who planned to stay only an hour ended
up staying the entire day. He consulted at length with one
photojournalist doing a story on children with HIV/AIDS, and
provided individual critiques to several others.

PRESS PLACEMENT REPORT


8. The visit was favorably covered in the local media,
including a full-page article about Suarez and his prize-
winning photography in El Diario de Hoy on July 30 (ultra-
conservative, circ. 100,000). The July 28 issue of La Prensa
Grafica (moderate, circ. 110,000) also ran an article that
focused on Suarez's comments about photographing scenes of
crime, violence, and accidents. The July 30 edition of Co-
Latino (leftist, circ. 20,000) also covered the visit as did
the digital newspaper El Faro (www.elfaro.net) on August 1.

IIP SUPPORT

8. EXCELLENT. JENIFER BOCHNER FOUND QUICKLY JUST THE RIGHT
MATCH FOR OUR PROGRAM. SHE ALSO HELPED NEGOTIATE THE
TERMS OF THIS PROGRAM; THEY WERE UNUSUAL DUE TO THE
PREFERENCES OF THE BOSTON GLOBE BUT JENIFER HELPED ENSURE
IT WORKED TO OUR ADVANTAGE.

BARCLAY