Larry Rubama, sports reporter for The Virginian-Pilot, visited The Current staff during their journalism block and spoke with them about his experience as a journalist.

“Pictures are so crucial,” said Rubama. “If you just have the headline… would you read it? The picture does everything.”

The staff, which is currently engaged in the last unit of the year, the photojournalism unit, listened intently as Rubama shared the importance of strong, effective photos.

“It could be a boring game that I went to, but because the picture is so good, it could make the reader say, ‘You know what, let me read more about that story,'” said Rubama. “Then it puts pressure on the reporter because you have to make sure you have a story that resembles what the picture shows.”

Rubama emphasized the importance of the correlation between good photographs and compelling stories.

“I try to be really good friends with… the photographers I work with,” Rubama said. “Because if you’re on the same page, you can make this thing work.”