National Press Photographers Association

A key advocate for news photographers, videographers, and visual journalists is heading to college.

The National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), which counts more than 6,000 members worldwide, announced last month that it would move from its longtime headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, to the campus of the University of Georgia (UGA), in Athens. NPPA will partner with the school’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.

NPPA Executive Director Charles “Chip” Deale said that the move provides an opportunity for the association to expand its member resources year-round.

“With the vast resources of the college at its disposal, NPPA will be an even stronger voice for the profession,” Deale said in a news release  (opens in a new tab). “The association will better be able to develop and deliver member-specific services that strengthen their skills as photojournalists and their ability to survive and thrive in a constantly evolving marketplace.”

Deale will move into an office at the college and will hire staff as part of the move.

The benefits of the collaboration go both ways: The school’s journalistic legacy is strong—for one thing, it’s the home of the Peabody Awards, which recognize public service in electronic media. NPPA will collaborate in the school’s educational programs, offer students the opportunity to learn from visiting professionals, and even provide employment opportunities for UGA students.

“Their partnership creates exciting new opportunities in instruction, scholarship, and outreach that will benefit our students and faculty as well as the more than 6,000 constituents of NPPA,” said Pamela Whitten, the university’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

Such collaborations between associations and larger organizations are not unheard of in the journalism sector. For example, the Online News Association  (opens in a new tab) currently has offices in the Washington, DC, headquarters of NPR, and the National Association of Black Journalists  (opens in a new tab) sits on the University of Maryland’s College Park campus. For decades, the nonprofit Poynter Institute  (opens in a new tab) has used the resources of the Tampa Bay Times, formerly the St. Petersburg Times, to fund its education programs. (Poynter owns the newspaper.)

Such collaborations have occasional pitfalls. The Society for News Design attempted a move like NPPA’s in 2009, but its proposed move to the University of North Carolina’s Chapel Hill campus was rescinded amid organizational troubles  (opens in a new tab) on SND’s board at the time.

(Hemera/Thinkstock)