Athens, GA—The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) will relocate its headquarters to the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication in early 2015.
NPPA is the voice of visual journalists, representing photographers, videographers, multimedia journalists, editors, designers, visual managers and academics, with nearly 6,000 members nationwide and around the world.
“UGA’s Grady College and NPPA share a deep commitment to excellence in journalism,” said Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “Their partnership creates exciting new opportunities in instruction, scholarship and outreach that will benefit our students and faculty as well as the more than 6,000 constituents of NPPA.”
NPPA’s move to Athens, Georgia, will provide the Grady College’s growing photojournalism department access to resources for students, including contact with visiting professionals, participation in workshops taught by NPPA staff and members and employment opportunities, such as work with the organization’s News Photographer magazine and website. NPPA will also allow the Grady College’s research faculty to access its Best of Photojournalism contest entries for study.
“NPPA is very excited about this partnership with UGA’s Grady College, and we’re excited to be moving our headquarters there in 2015 when the college will celebrate its centennial anniversary,” said Mark Dolan, president of NPPA. “Advocacy and education have long been major tenets of NPPA’s mission, and partnering with a university has been one of our goals.”
Charles “Chip” Deale, the executive director of NPPA, echoed those thoughts: “NPPA’s relocation to the University of Georgia and its partnership with the Grady College effectively positions the association for a vibrant future and one that is of great relevance to visual journalists.” Deale will be based at Grady College and will collaborate with the school’s faculty and staff on a daily basis.
“NPPA members will directly benefit from, and experience, enhanced value because of the relationship,” Deale added. “With the vast resources of the college at its disposal, NPPA will be an even stronger voice for the profession. The association will better be able to develop and deliver member-specific services that strengthen their skills as photojournalists and their ability to survive and thrive in a constantly evolving marketplace.”
The agreement also cites a mutual interest for NPPA and Grady College to work together to raise funds for educational programming online and in person, apply for grants focusing on visual journalism projects, create a graduate fellowship in visual journalism and expand the scholarship programs that the association currently offers.
Programs will be explored to work NPPA into some of the Grady College’s signature programs including the Peabody Awards and the New Media Institute. There may also be the possibility of housing the NPPA’s seven-decades-long archives and other historical material about the photojournalism profession at the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries.
For more than six decades, the NPPA has supported visual journalists through advocacy, workshops, certifications and competitions to equip its members and prepare the emerging generation of visual journalists in the face of an ever-changing media landscape. The NPPA has continuously published News Photographer magazine since 1946, and it is considered to be the authoritative source on news, issues, trends and information about visual journalism. Affiliated with the NPPA is the National Press Photographers Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, charged with advancing press photography through education and awarding scholarships and fellowships to deserving students who have demonstrated ability or promise in the field of photojournalism. nppa.org
