The business model is a solid, straight forward revenue model. Frankly, it is as simple as a revenue model can be. We travel to news worthy events and take high quality photos, documenting the event or topic. We then offer those photos completely free of charge on our website, stocknewsphotos.com, to major and minor news publications, news media outlets and even to the general public. Visitors engage our site, allowing us to generate revenue in three ways: by selling advertisement space, trough affiliate marketing and by selling our own merchandise & stretched canvas prints. The first revenue stream is through impressions, or total clicks. When a new visitor enters the site, it counts as an 'impression'. Each impression allows us to charge more for advertising space as it proves to the advertiser that we have a steady and growing visitor count, ensuring that their products will be seen by potential customers. The second revenue stream is via affiliate marketing. Every time one of our visitors clicks an advertisement from our website and makes any type of purchase, we get an 'affiliate commission'. The third stream and the one we will focus the bulk of our recourses on growing is that of selling our merchandise & stretched canvas prints. We have secured incredibly affordable office space inDowntown Bloomington are currently undergoing a restructure that will allow us to produce our own prints at a fraction of the cost that major canvas companies charge, and at a much higher quality. Once this tedious process is complete, likely in or before fall/winter of 2023, our company will increase our canvas mark up by 22%-41%. Additionally, Stock News Photos works to employ canvas sales representatives which operate as authorized independent dealers and sell canvases in a variety of ways including through direct sales, marketing sales, retail outlets, canvas viewing parties and many other highly effective sales methods. In the interest of full transparency, before completion of the internship after candidates have signed all appropriate Non-disclosure Agreements and quit claims, every candidate will be provided with a complete business prospectus that will include access to full financials, company value, assets, expenses, tax schedule & burdens, sales and growth projections, state & federal requirements and more.
Stock News Photos is an employee owned, start-up website focused on providing World Class, Award Winning photojournalism to media outlets of all sizes from Fortune 500 media conglomerates to independent small market publications. We are currently looking for both experienced and inexperienced photojournalists from across the political spectrum to join our team as employee owners. If you are interested in creative and physically challenging work that has the potential to impact history, please read the Frequently Asked Questions and apply below.
I have no journalism, Copy Edit, Photography or Photojournalism experience, and I do not own a camera. Can I still apply?
Absolutely. We encourage and welcome all
to apply. We are not focused on who you are or the skills you have today. We are focused on who you can become tomorrow if given the opportunity to thrive. If you can meet the job requirements, our internship is a fantastic opportunity for an aspiring Journalist/Photographer who will get paid to learn and master their art. If you do not have a camera a professional full frame 50 megapixel camera will be provided to you for use.
I have extensive Journalism, Photography or Photojournalism experience and I own a high quality camera. Where do I apply?
We know that you have worked very hard to learn the skills you have acquired. You are a highly trained professional, and we will treat you accordingly. As an Employee Owned company, we offer the very best compensation package in the Media Industry, hands down, including a $500 signing bonus and guaranteed salary match. Our requirements for immediate hire are simply the industry standard. Candidates must meet one of the following criteria:
- Two years professional experience as a Staff Writer
- Three years professional experience as a Freelance Writer
- Bachelors Degree or higher in the study of Writing/Creative Writing
- Three years professional experience as a photojournalist
- Bachelors Degree or higher in the study of Journalism
- Bachelors Degree or higher in the study of Photography
If you meet these qualifications, please click here
to submit your resume. Be sure to include your professional writing/photography/photojournalism portfolio and your salary requirements.
What are the requirements to join the internship program?
For candidates with minimal or no previous writing/photojournalism experience, the option to join our team as a paid intern is available to qualified candidates. The requirements for entry into the paid internship program, which are not only expected company wide of interns but of veteran photojournalists alike, are vital to achieving success within the industry. Candidates must be:
- 18 or older
- Strong work ethic
- Committed to learning & mastering your craft
- Able to be on your feet for long periods and physically fit enough to fulfill the job duties of a Photojournalist
- Able to handle the travel rigors & erratic shooting schedule that the photography industry demands
- Able to work in all climates at any time of day or night
- Able to work calmly as a team in high risk environments
- Able to stay focused on a project long term despite extended periods with breaks in work
- Able to respect client privilege, protect all news sources identities, adhere to legal Non-Disclosure Agreements and refrain from social media while on duty
- Able to follow direction well
What is the job description?
As an owner operator, accepted candidates responsibilities will be constantly shifting day to day. One moment accepted applicants will be on location photographing a news worthy event or assisting our award winning NPPA accredited photojournalist when only one shooter is viable, then the next you will be in office working to promote the business driving traffic to the website or editing the photos you just took, researching and planning the next event to shoot, fulfilling and mailing orders from our store or any myriad of other tasks necessary for success. This is not even to mention the multitude of on going training and learning necessary to stay ahead of the tech and business curve. In plain terms, the duties of both a photojournalist and small business owner are frequently changing. The subject matter that accepted candidates will cover is vast and extensive. Ultimately, we will cover an array of some trendy but mostly traditional topics in order to diversify the income streams from our projects. Upon further entry into the interview process and once both parties' interests are protected by non-disclosure agreements, we can share with candidates our precise business model and the exact realm of the subject matter we will cover.
What kind of compensation is included with the internship?
Our employee internship program is a fantastic, unique opportunity for an entry level candidate individual looking to get into the Photojournalism industry. It allows aspiring Photojournalists the ability to get paid for learning the business while simultaneously maintaining a portion of creative and copyright control of their work, an unheard of standard in the industry. Additionally, as an employee owner you hold a seat as a member of the Board of Directors, therefore successful candidates will have a say in future growth and the company direction with their monthly board meeting vote. It is a three tier training program specifically designed to provide a novice photographer with the finest training experience possible. Once applicants complete the internship training process candidates are invited to join our team as an employee owner. For those individuals enrolled in our internship program, we include:
- $250 cash signing bonus
- Upon completion of internship, Candidates will earn an equal portion of all net revenues as an employee owner!
- Letter of recommendation and paid sponsorship into the National Press Photographers Association
- Complimentary premium coffee, tea, water & snacks during office hours
- Food packs/stipend provided when on location
- Travel to and from location included
- Seat on the Company Board of Directors
- Opportunity for tremendous financial and professional growth
It sounds like a great opportunity, but no job is perfect. What's the catch?
The catch is you will have to work hard to succeed. Yes, traveling around to different places and events researching, planning, scouting, documenting historical events & photographing subjects can be extremely fun, rich and fulfilling. Being early on the scene of a major newsworthy event or disaster & recovery effort and documenting it is exciting and full of adventure. However, anything worth doing is not often easy. In general, both photojournalism and especially business ownership have many difficult aspects. It will take a significant amount of time to produce a body of work, promote it, build a following and turn it into profit. It will not happen over night. However, If you are able to set yourself apart from the crowd, the end result can be very rewarding. Below we have included just a few eye opening statistics compiled from the the Small Business Administration and U.S. Census that help illustrate the unique and specific challenges that accompany small business proprietorship.
- 26% of all business fail within the first year.
- 47% of all businesses lose money in their first fiscal year.
- The median time for a business to reach financial solvency and turn a profit in the U.S. is 20 months.
If any if these statistics or possible outcomes are facts that you cannot handle, business ownership likely may not be suited for you, and furthermore you may want to reconsider submitting your application.
What does the training process entail?
Truly the training process in this industry never ends. There is always something new and exciting to learn even after years on the job. Accepted candidates will begin by completing a three tier paid apprenticeship program. The program consists of a total 240 hours including both classroom and practical application in the field. The first tier will be the most mentally & physically daunting and will last about 24 hours which is meant to serve as an overall candidate evaluation. Successful candidates will progress to the second tier which will be the least physical, and will include a mixture of classroom and practical application in the field. The third tier will be a continuation of classroom and field work with the addition of studio time on a more advanced level, and also include the candidates first forays into the professional side of the business. Candidates are cross trained and will gain a vast knowledge that will encompass a multitude of topics such as journalism, photography, photojournalism, editing, lighting, accounting, marketing, business administration, disaster & emergency environment training and much, much more. Depending on many factors in and outside of our control including candidate availability, frequency of news worthy events, weather conditions, the state of the economy and the social atmosphere of our nation among others, the training process will last between 12-16 Weeks. Upon successful completion of the program candidates will have absorbed a rich variety of vocational trainings and disciplines, earned numerous professional skills and become fully capable of running a successful small business.
How does the business earn money?
What does "equal portion of revenues" mean?
It is exactly as the sentence seems, upon completion of the internship, you will receive the same share of profits as every other member of the Board of Directors, with the Chairman of The Board(C.E.O.) retaining creative control of the company. To be precise, you will be a business owner partnering with other equal owners of this company. For a pair of crude examples(Keep in mind that it will take time to build the business to see revenue numbers like those presented in these examples), let us hypothesize that our team travels to shoot a major protest one morning in the month of July. We were able to use those photos to raise $2376 in total revenues over the course of a fiscal year. It costs the company a total of $1247 in travel fees, equipment costs and the multitude of other various business expenses required to cover the protest, plus production of merchandise expenses, shipping fees and marketing costs. This leaves $1129 in total net revenues, which are then divided up equally by the Board of Directors. There are usually three members on the board, therefore each individual will receive about $376. Or, imagine perhaps that we have been contracted by a medium sized pet supply company to cover the customer experience at their grand opening event in a suburb of Indianapolis. They have paid a total of $975 for three hours of coverage. It costs the company a total of $132 dollars in various expenses and overhead costs to travel to location for the afternoon and back, field research the event, take event photos and then complete the editing. This leaves about $843($280 each) in net profits to be divided by employee owners. In total, the project took each person involved about 12 labor hours, averaging about $23 per hour.
What does it cost to buy into the business?
Zero. Absolutely nothing. You will never
be required to pay any money, ever. Your labor and talent are your equity. In total when accounting for training time, equipment & maintenance costs and travel expenses, sponsorship into the NPPA, equipment costs and maintenance fees among many other expenses, it cost about $9000 to train an applicant for 240 hours, plus an additional $2000 in state, federal, registered agent and legal fees to re-structure the business to include you on the Board of Directors. However, every hour you put in during your internship counts as your capital towards what other similarly structured businesses and companies would normally charge for franchise and incorporation cost. You never pay out of your own pocket, in any way.
I have had legal/disciplinary issues or I have said some things or have videos about me online that stigmatize me. Will that prevent me from qualification?
No, not at all. You are a human. Humans make mistakes. We believe in second chances and in most cases, third or fourth ones too. It's O.K. to have said or done things that you regret, that have been misconstrued or are unpopular. We're really not concerned about the silly anti-Obama or anti-Bush tweet you made, the embarrassing whatever video or any other speech or action deemed offensive by some. Just be honest and tell us. Disclosure is key. We will address any concerns we may have with you and evaluate your situation fairly, on an individual basis. To error is a human quality, to forgive and accept does not seem to be.
I have strong political positions and refuse to work with, give a platform to or cover people who do not share my political views. How will you be able accommodate me?
In short, we won't accommodate you. This is one of the most common questions we receive among young applicants. We cannot accommodate such narrow thinking. Truly, if this is your stance, it is advised against your applying with us as you are not likely a great fit for our organization, or for the integrity of photojournalism in general. You will eventually cover something on this job that repulses you, makes you furious or simply offends you, no matter what your political position or religious affiliation. You will have to cover both Presidents Trump and Biden rallies at some point as they are popular, money making newsworthy events. You will cover both pro-life and pro-abortion rallies. You will be around people who have just lost everything or even a loved one, and to treat them less than or refuse to share their story because they voted differently than you is pure evil and at absolute odds with the essence of what journalism is.
I have been told by some that my views or beliefs are "fringe", "conspiratorial" or "unconventional". I have even been ridiculed or ostracized for them. Can I still apply?
Yes! In fact, you just may be who we are looking for. We always
respect everyone we work with no matter their opinions, political views or beliefs. We completely understand your concerns, they are well founded. Our staff will treat you will nothing but kindness and respect.
What if I decide that photojournalism is not for me or I have a major life event that prevents me from continuing in the internship? Will I be financially liable or responsible for anything?
No, you are not responsible for anything financial or otherwise. You may quit the internship at any time for any reason, no questions asked. The signing bonus is paid on a standard corporate internship schedule:1/3 at the beginning of the internship, 1/3 halfway through and the final 1/3 upon completion of the program. You keep without penalty what ever portion of the bonus you have earned at the time of your departure. If you do successfully complete the internship however and become an employee owner, then just like every small business owner in America you are responsible to your business partners for your portion of hard work towards the success of this company.
I have a full-time job, children or other time commitments that prevent me from starting full time. Am I still eligible?
Certainly. For the right candidate, we will happily accommodate a part-time schedule of about 12-15 hours per week to start, for up to one year. The site is currently under a soft launch as we work out the small details and add content. The site will hard launch on February 1st, 2023 and will face steady growth for the first full year of existence. However, this is ultimately a business and as the company and revenues grow, so must the time commitment made by the candidate.
