For the past eight years, Dublin photographer Noel Bowler has been working on a project documenting “some of the most turbulent times in the history of journalism” through a series of photographs taken in empty newspaper newsrooms around the world, capturing several of what he calls “the spaces that are used to generate legitimate news today.” 

Starting in his home city with the Irish Times, his project “Above The Fold” also features iconic global newspaper brands, from the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and the New York Times in the US; the Financial Times, The Guardian, The Independent and the Daily Telegraph in London; Le Monde in Paris, Japan’s Asahi Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbun, as well as The Hindu in India.

“Right now, in this time of misinformation, the role of the journalist and the newsroom has never been more relevant, ” he says.  “These newspapers represent the cornerstone of a free press.”

Several of his resulting photographs appeared in Monday’s Guardian, whose accompanying description said: “With declining readership, reduced advertising and persistent questions about ‘truth’ and relevance of newspapers in the 21st century, the structures of print media are in a state of flux. This is a glimpse into the places that are separated by geography, culture and politics, yet linked by the commitment to informing an ever-more distracted public.”

It’s a project which Lucy White, in an article for Image, calls “an homage to the free press.”

She writes: “These human-free, but human-felt, tableaus offer glimpses into these enigmatic places where decisions and policies that affect so many are formed and framed for mass consumption.”

Bowler describes his images as “purposely unpopulated” and it’s perhaps the lack of people in the shots that resonates most strongly – especially for anyone who’s ever worked in a newsroom, traditionally a hive of activity often bordering on chaos. You get a real sense that the serene suspended animation could be interrupted with important work at any moment.

At the same time, though, the emptiness also inevitably conveys a notion of the vulnerability of the press at a time of great uncertainty for the industry. Is anyone coming back? Who knows…

Bowler, who teaches at the University of Suffolk and has a Masters in Fine Art from the University of Ulster, is currently raising funds to produce a photobook of his work. He posted on Facebook this week that “While it’s been a tough few years for journalism and truth, it’s been an even tougher 2020 for most people. I’ve been blown away by the generosity and support of both friends and strangers alike.”

His month-long Kickstarter campaign to produce the “Above The Fold” book closes on 6 December. More than 200 people have already stepped up as backers and it’s still just a little short of its ‘all or nothing’ goal, which means the book will only be produced if the target is hit. *

*Update: The project reached its funding goal by the deadline with the eventual backing of more than 250 supporters. Bowler’s photobook is expected to be completed and released in March next year.

You can watch a video of Noel Bowler describing the project at his Kickstarter page here.

Also published on Medium.