Supply and Demand

THE SALE OF WORK DEPENDS ON NARRATIVE FRAMING. ARE YOU OFFERING SOMETHING THAT NO ONE ELSE HAS?

The media industry is much like any other, it follows the rules of supply and demand - if many producers are offering similar work, there’s little demand for it over time. But if you have something interesting, that no one else has, editors will be chewing your hand off for it. You can even end up in a bidding war.

I’ve spent a long time documenting cultural reactions to active shooter events in America. It’s a hard topic that’s widely covered in breaking news. But the conventional narrative is always similar - there’s a school shooting, the media descends for some interviews with survivors, then presents some details of the attack. Everyone has the same story, produced in a time- crunch scramble.

But what happens between these events? Where are the interesting angles? It’s stories about changes in police training, how schools are evolving security measures, how teachers are training with firearms, and how private companies are manufacturing bullet-proof backpacks for kids. Dig deep beneath the headlines.

Skillset diversification can also help. An unpublished project made up of photos and video is valuable. As is a photo gallery accompanied by a written article, photos with extended captions, social media posts, VR, and illustration. The more range you can offer in one project, the more value the package you’re offering will hold.