Visual storyteller and photojournalist, Ann Hermes, joins Michael at the 2026 Chico Review to discuss her advocacy for visual storytelling and her photo exploration of the loss of local newsrooms.

Visual storyteller and photojournalist, Ann Hermes, joins Michael Chovan-Dalton from the 2026 Chico Review to discuss her advocacy for visual storytelling and her photographic exploration of the loss of local newsrooms.https://www.annhermesphoto.comhttps://www.instagram.com/hermesphoto/I am a Brooklyn and Boston-based photojournalist and visual storyteller with a flair for the nostalgic. I create documentary tableaus that explore the roles that often overlooked, and sometimes outdated, institutions and people play in our history, culture and future. I’ve worked in a variety of logistically challenging situations on national and international assignments over my 15 years as a staff photographer for The Christian Science Monitor and other national and regional news outlets. This work ranged from breaking visual news coverage of the Arab Spring in Egypt to in-depth stories following Syrian refugees in Eastern Europe. My stories have also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The New Republic, and AARP.After years of experience in news photography, I am using my documentary expertise to create a visual exploration of the current critical era in journalism and explore the potential harm that the loss of local newsrooms would bring to our democracy. My Local Newsrooms project was recently exhibited at Photoville and profiled in Lenscratch. I hold an MA in Journalism from the University of Missouri. This podcast is sponsored by the Charcoal Book Club - Begin Building your dream photobook library today at:https://charcoalbookclub.com