Photojournalism alumna earns New York Times fellowship

Brittainy Newman ’18 (Photojournalism) likened the moment to a cheerful Christmas morning from her childhood. Only this time, she wasn’t rifling through boxes — her present was being offered a yearlong fellowship with The New York Times.

Since June, Newman has been one of two photographers part of The Times’ Newsroom Fellowship Program. It’s been a rewarding experience that’s allowed her to apply her wide range of storytelling abilities. 

Newman is taking full advantage of the opportunity, evidenced by one of her photos hitting the front page of The Times’ Sept. 12 issue. The image was from the 9/11 Memorial as families gathered to commemorate the 18th anniversary of the attacks. 

“This fellowship program is intense,” said Newman, from Manhattan. “I have assignments every day that utilize different skill sets that both challenge me physically and mentally. Luckily, with the education I received from RIT, I do feel fully capable and prepared.”

Leading up to The Times fellowship, Newman compiled a dynamic portfolio — which includes award-winning work. Her documentary short, “The Love Shack,” was awarded Gold in the Multimedia: Individual Story or Essay - Standalone category of the 2018 College Photographer of the Year competition. Further, she was selected for the prestigious Eddie Adams Workshop in 2017 and gained hands-on experience by joining RIT’s student chapter of the National Press Photographers Association and working for University Communications and SportsZone, RIT’s multimedia sports source.

Learn more about Newman’s journey from RIT to The New York Times below. 

Question: What types of assignments have you done for The Times? 

Answer: My assignments vary each and every day. One day I’m photographing portraits of teen activists and another day I’m underwater photographing kids learning how to swim. I’ve had the opportunity to photograph weeklong events like the United Nations General Assembly and the US Open Tennis Championships and long, one-day marches like Pride and the Youth Climate Strike. Overall, the variety of assignments has really enabled me to grow as a visual storyteller.

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Q: How did it feel to have your photo featured on the front page of an edition? 

A: It’s a dream come true, and still to this day, very surreal. My mother woke me up and shouted from across the room, ‘Your image is on NY1​!’ Being born and raised in Manhattan, hearing NY1 anchorman Pat Kiernan speak about my front-page image during his ‘In the Papers’ segment was super cool. I remember my professor William Snyder telling our class that when we received an award, ‘You can celebrate, but don’t stop there. Keep striving.’ So having my image featured on the front page is an honor but only makes me want to work harder.

Q: How did the photojournalism education you received at RIT prepare you for this fellowship?

A: I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the family, teachers and friends who helped motivate, guide, inspire and push me every day while at studying at RIT. My photojournalism professors were award-winning, smart, thoughtful people and they really did care and notice the effort a student would put into an assignment. I’m a true believer that if you put in the reasonable steps, small or large, results will come and people will notice. The people you choose to surround yourself with can truly impact you in the long run, too. Throughout college, I chose to surround myself with filmmakers, animators, web developers, innovators and entrepreneurs. They all in turn helped expand my perspective on a personal and professional level. And I hope, for some, I did for them what they’ve done for me.

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Q: How has RIT Photojournalism’s emphasis on storytelling through both still photography and video shaped the photojournalist you have become? 

A: A main reason I applied to RIT was because of once-in-a-lifetime professional development opportunities they offered. During your junior and senior years, photo students take class trips to New York City and Washington, D.C. where ​we visit companies and meet working professionals. Throughout our visits, they would all emphasize the fact that if you wanted to work in this industry, you had to be a jack-of-all-trades — this included learning how to shoot and edit video. I always had a strong interest in video and dreamt of being part of a long-term documentary film project, but this desire was only intensified after taking courses in video and audio storytelling. I started dabbling in audio, creating audio slideshows and audioscapes during study abroad trips I took to Cuba and Kosovo. Learning any new skill will always impact your work for the better, and learning these new tools has enabled me to learn a new language and communicate with more people.

Q: How would you describe your style when it comes to storytelling? 

A: With every film I watch, song I listen to, article/book I read, even a mural I pass by — my approach to storytelling will constantly evolve. I’m continuously inspired by all sorts of mediums and hope in the future to incorporate a range of tools and methods into how I tell and retell stories.

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