RyanChristopherJones

Since March I've been contacted by multiple (very big name) advertising agencies hoping to license Covid photos for their clients, and every instance has been unpleasant at best and offensive at worst. 1/8

Across the board there's been an extreme lack of sensitivity, total disregard for anyone's time but their own, a dismissive and ignorant tone for those in journalism, and a general cluelessness about the severity and intensity of how these stories live in the real world. 2/8

Last week a European agency asked for photos for Siemens Healthineers. They gave a lowball offer for licensed images in perpetuity with the possibility of print. When I passed, they simply responded with "would you have any chance to get into a Hospital to make some photos" 3/8

It's absurd to ask a journalist to pop into a hospital during a global pandemic for some quick ad photos. There are ethical, moral, logistic, privacy, safety and medical concerns that should preclude anyone from thinking this flippant ask is a good idea. 4/8

I spoke to a different executive about the Covid coverage I've been doing in Jackson Heights, Queens. They responded with an air of clueless insult and pretension, "that's so good! We often forget that Queens is even a part of NYC!" 5/8

I've been asked for free photos. I've been given unreasonable timelines: "we are anxious to speak with you as we are looking for a very quick turn around!! (need to sort this morning)" and I've been entirely ignored by almost every agency after I provided estimates. 6/8