Michele McNally (June 25, 1955 – February 18, 2022) was an American photojournalism editor at The New York Times. She was the director of photography there during a 14-year span from 2004 to 2018.[1][5][6][7][8] During her tenure, the newspaper won numerous awards for photojournalism, including Pulitzer Prizes, George M. Polk Awards, Overseas Press Club honors, Emmys and other citations for excellence in photography.[1][9][10][11] As an editor, she won the Jim Gordon Editor of the Year Award for photojournalism from the National Press Photographers Association,[1][3] and she won the Angus McDougall Visual Editing Award in 2015 and 2017.[1][4] She was active as a judge in numerous photography journalism competitions.[12][13][14] Her work often involved looking carefully at particular photographs to ascertain whether any of them had been staged or doctored, and she often weighed in on issues regarding particular photos.[15][16][17] In evaluating photographs for news pictures, when depicting real situations and events, her policy was not to permit photographs which were staged.[14]

Michele McNally
Born(1955-06-25)June 25, 1955[1]
DiedFebruary 18, 2022(2022-02-18) (aged 66)
EducationQueens College (theater arts)[1][2]
Brooklyn College[1]
OccupationPhotojournalism editing
Employer(s)Time-Life (1980s)[1]
Fortune Magazine 1986–2004[1]
The New York Times 2004–2018[1]
TitleDirector of Photography
Awards · Jim Gordon Editor of the Year Award[1][3]
 · Angus McDougall Visual Editing Award 2015, 2017[1][4]

McNally died in Yonkers, New York, on February 18, 2022, at the age of 66.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Sam Roberts (March 1, 2022). "Michele McNally, Who Elevated Times Photography, Dies at 66: The paper won six Pulitzer Prizes for photography during her tenure as its director of photography and a trailblazing member of the newsroom's top management". The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  2. ^ Staff writers (September 8, 2017). "16 years after 9/11, tour, memories move you at Ground Zero". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Michele McNally". World Press Photo. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Angus McDougall Overall Excellence in Editing Awards -- Winner". POY organization (Reynolds Journalism Institute). Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  5. ^ MICHAEL ZHANG (July 23, 2018). "NY Times Selects Meaghan Looram as Its New Director of Photography". PetaPixel. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  6. ^ Kristen Chick (July 6, 2021). "Photojournalists under David Furst felt 'set up to fail': Years of complaints from colleagues and freelancers preceded the recent departure of a New York Times photo editor". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  7. ^ Erik Wemple (July 9, 2021). "Awards buoyed former New York Times editor who mistreated freelance photographers". Washington Post. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  8. ^ Gabriel Sherman (September 22, 2010). "Times Two". New York Magazine. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  9. ^ CHRISTOPHER HARRITY (November 7, 2014). "PHOTOS: Jean-Pierre Laffont Saw Us". The Advocate. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  10. ^ James Estrin (April 14, 2014). "New York Times Wins Two Photography Pulitzers". The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  11. ^ Staff writers (February 22, 2018). "Michele McNally is Retiring From The New York Times". NPPA. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  12. ^ Editorial staff (February 17, 2015). "Debating the Rules and Ethics of Digital Photojournalism". The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  13. ^ Rachel Donadio (March 4, 2015). "World Press Photo Revokes Prize". The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Tiernan Morgan (March 6, 2015). "Art Movements". Hyperallergic. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  15. ^ Margaret Sullivan (September 14, 2013). "The Delicate Handling of Images of War". The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  16. ^ David Folkenflik (July 11, 2008). "On The Smoky Trail Of A Faked Missile Photo". NPR. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  17. ^ Judy Kurtz (March 9, 2015). "Times photographer blames Bush photo flap on Selma sunlight". The Hill. Retrieved March 1, 2022.