New York Times award-winning war photographer Tyler Hicks discussed his work with students and explained why he thinks journalism coverage of conflict and war is important. Mr. Hicks was on campus for three days as the Melissa Dilworth Gold Visiting Artist. In visual art and photography classes, Mr. Hicks showed images from Afghanistan and Iraq, and talked about becoming a photojournalist after graduating from Boston University’s School of Communication in 1992. After various staff photographer jobs, Mr. Hicks traveled to Kosovo on his own for two weeks, where he was deeply moved by what he saw. He left his job and returned to Kosovo as a freelance photographer, where he covered the Balkan crisis. He began working for the New York Times in 2002 and was named Newspaper Photographer of the Year in 2007. In 2009, he shared the Pulitzer Prize with a group of fellow Times staff members.
“Many people ask me why I continue to go back to areas that can be dangerous. First, it’s my job. Second, I feel responsible for documenting these events and for telling people’s stories, especially in areas with American soldiers.”