Baltimore, July 1, 2022 – Black-led, Black controlled nonprofit newspaper Baltimore Beat is pleased to announce that noted Baltimore artist and photographer Schaun Champion will join the Beat as Director Of Photography.
Champion is a gifted photographer whose work has been featured in BUST, The New York Times, People, Baltimore Magazine, BmoreArt, and many other outlets.
“I’m an advocate for truthful storytelling and opportunities,” Champion said. “I saw an opportunity for a publication to tap into resources that they already have here on the ground and an opportunity for people to learn at every level. I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to be a part of change.”
In her role as Director Of Photography, Champion is responsible for cultivating a unique look for Baltimore Beat’s photography that will catch readers’ attention and bring a more empathetic photographic approach to the city and its residents. Champion’s thoughtful work and attention to detail ensures that Baltimore Beat’s visuals are just as important as the written word when it comes to telling and preserving Black Baltimore’s stories.
Champion says that she sees the role as an opportunity to guarantee that a place exists for future photographers to learn and grow. It’s also an opportunity for journalists to expand the way they view photography.
“The opportunity for education is important because it’s something I didn’t have when I was getting started,” Champion said. “The Beat is a beacon. A place where you can go and get the training that you need and the opportunities that you probably wouldn’t find elsewhere.”
A native of Baltimore, Champion has been working as a photographer for 10 years. In 2021, she was awarded the Baltimore Black-led Solidarity Fund Grant. In 2020, she won Baltimore Magazine’s Best of Baltimore award for Photography and was awarded the Unvael BIPOC Artist & Poet Grant and Awesome Baltimore grant.
“Schaun takes the role of photographer very seriously and that’s why I knew I wanted her to work with Baltimore Beat,” said Baltimore Beat Editor-in-Chief Lisa Snowden. “You can see the care and love and respect that she has for Black life and culture in the images she creates.”
You can contact Schaun Champion at photo@baltimorebeat.com.
