Whether it was the Manchester United protest against Jose Mourinho, the march of Chelsea fans against their club’s owners or the demonstration at Tottenham, fan protest stories are proving to be more than just distant background noise. They’re making clubs change their minds on coronavirus pandemic ticket pricing and addressing the issue of discrimination against lesbian and trans women in sport. They’ve helped keep the show on the air for “Family Guy” and convinced Paramount Studios to give one more season to beloved “Star Trek.” And that is just scratching the surface.
As with any news event, the best way to report on fan protests is to be there and capture the look of it in photos (if possible). The key is to tell a story that includes the basic information about the protest: what it was about, who organized it and who participated and how many people were there. And, most importantly, to talk to protesters and supporters — not just to quote them but to find out what they think about the protest and its outcome.
That is the approach taken by two MLS-based journalistic teams whose photo essays – published as stand-alone slide shows in F Newsmagazine — are a terrific example of how to do this. Georgia Hampton’s pictures of the Spurs protest spelled out the issues and the feelings that drove it; her quotes from the marchers and other supporters help to make the piece more compelling. She also made sure to photograph the full range of supporter expressions during the protest, which included the use of the classic “abolish ICE” direct messaging and more subdued banners like “Time for Change.”