Photojournalism. The Best of Photojournalism 2. Introduction by Harry Reasoner.

Newsweek Books, 1977. [The 34th Annual Pictures of the Year Competition, featuring the photo essay Gramps by Mark and Dan Jury. Contains numerous remarkable  photographs by many photographers, with the largest number by Eddie Adams (AP), Bruce Bisping (Minneapolis Tribune), Robert W. Madden (National Geographic), Charlie Nye (Sleepy Eye Herald Dispatch), Co Rentmeester (Time), Jim Richardson (Topeka Capital-Journal), and James L. Stanfield (National Geographic).]  Ex-library with spine label, wraps, creases on cover, interior VG.  Summary:

The Best of Photojournalism 2 (published by Newsweek Books in 1977) is a compelling, 256-page visual annual edited by Edwin D. Bayrd, Jr. Created in cooperation with the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), the volume serves as a permanent showcase of the 34th annual Pictures of the Year (POY) competition, preserving the most striking and historically significant news photography captured by global photojournalists during 1976.

Core Content & Thematic Structure

1. Award-Winning Photo Essays and Human Realities

The structural foundation of the book centers on deeply intimate, long-form documentary human narratives that won the prestigious World Understanding Award. Rather than focusing solely on flash-point news events, these multi-page photo essays capture deep subcultures and social shifts across the American landscape. Prominent features include:

• Gramp by Mark and Dan Jury: A raw, ground-breaking look at aging and death within a family setting.

• Kansas by Jim Richardson: A nuanced, long-term exploration of rural small-town community life.

• Appalachia by Jack Corn: A stark, empathetic documentation of coal mining culture and economic hardship.

2. Categorized Topical Chapters

The remaining sections of the annual are organized into traditional photojournalistic beats, showcasing single frames and short sequences from top agency and newspaper photographers such as Eddie Adams, Stanley Forman, and Bruce Bisping. The thematic breakdown covers:

• National and International News: Eye-witness imagery capturing global political shifts, warfare, urban crises, and historical milestones.

• People and Feature Stories: Candid portraits and street photography highlighting the oddities, emotions, and quiet moments of daily human existence.

• Sports: Kinetic, high-shutter-speed captures documenting peak athletic performance, agony, and triumph across various competitions.

3. Curatorial Critique and Professional Insights

The monograph balances its visual presentation with a dedicated essay on the mechanics of the competition by photo editor Arthur Goldsmith, titled "Judging the Competition." The introductory commentary provided by legendary television news anchor Harry Reasoner frames the professional photographer as a vital societal eyewitness. The narrative explores the ethical obligations of capturing trauma, the evolving speed of media distribution, and the distinct power of a single, frozen frame to outlast broadcast television.

The Best of Photojournalism 2 functions as an essential time capsule of the mid-1970s print media landscape. By compiling elite-level newspaper and magazine imagery into a high-grade editorial volume, the annual firmly establishes the daily press photographer as an essential cultural historian, documenting the complex textures of an era for future study.