They say a picture speaks a thousand words. Historical moments or events have been immortalised through powerful images - the Burning Monk in Southern Vietnam in 1963, the lunching workmen on the top of the Rockefeller Centre in 1932 or the startling green eyes of the Afghan Girl from 1984. In today's news media, photographs play an important role because they help summarise for readers what has been written. The visual element to any story is crucial in drawing a reader in and portraying what it would have been like to be in any given situation.
Evidently, photojournalism schools must provide students with appropriate photography techniques. And as basic photography is not enough in such cases, the value of the teachers these schools bring is one of the most important features characterizing good photojournalism schools. The teachers must have managed themselves the hard times of photojournalism so they can properly teach their students the important education for this career path.
Shooting in a photojournalistic style requires the skill, talent, and experience necessary to view a scene and interpret it in a photojournalistic and creative way. While many amateur and professional photographers can shoot a wedding in a semi-photojournalistic style, the experience increases the value of your photography, assuring clients that in this genre, you truly have the training and background to portray this style of wedding photojournalism. I encourage ambitious and motivated photographers to apply to shoot with a photojournalistic wedding photographer and shadow photographers working out in the field. Photojournalistic photographers have worked hard to hone their skills over the years and are most are more than willing to share their knowledge of photojournalism with others who desire to learn!
Compare this style of photography to a newspaper photographer covering a story. You will not see the newspaper photographer rearranging people and staging them to take a picture. Instead, they take a picture of exactly what they see. This is what a good wedding photographer will do in their photojournalistic capturing on your wedding day.
Keep in mind, because a photojournalistic approach is still fairly new and increasing in popularity, many photographers are catering to this style with a twist of their own to make their mark in the industry. If you don't mind having posed pictures with a photojournalistic twist, by all means that is your choice. For the most part, you should work closely with your photographer to get the best pictures possible with the twist you desire.
Additionally, another important aspect of photojournalism besides timeliness is also objectivity. This means that the photos should try to tell the truth as much as possible. It is important to realize that photographers can influence the way that the audience perceives an image through the angles and other compositional devices that they use. A photojournalist should try to capture the pieces of a story the same way that a normal person would see it. In some cases, though, the photos are meant to reveal a story, which may require a slightly more artistic composition in order to show everything that is happening.