David Carson
Saint Louis,MI
Summary
David Carson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning multimedia journalist with 30 years of newsroom experience. He is a 2025 John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford, where he worked on the impact of AI on photojournalism, image authentication, and the ethics of emerging visual technology. He is a frequent lecturer at universities, journalism conferences, and professional organizations. He embraces technology and seamlessly utilizes photography, video, audio, and drones to tell compelling stories.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
Work History
President
United Media Guild
St. Louis, MO
10.2024 - Current
- Represent 230+ union members from 19 different journalism, social justice and civic organizations across 11 states
- Negotiated multiple labor contracts, represented employees in grievance and disciplinary hearings
- Oversee a $3.5 million treasury of investments and cash, create yearly budgets, manage employees, conducted shop steward training
- Participated in national organizing campaigns, contributed to Guild's national "News not Slop" campaign urging ethical use of AI
Staff Photojournalist
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis, USA
07.2000 - Current
- Produce daily and long-form multimedia stories using photos, video, audio and drones to deliver impactful journalism across print, digital and social media
- Select local and wire images for publication as photo editor; coordinated coverage as assignment editor
- Covered assignments in Iraq, Afghanistan, Dominican Republic, World Series, presidential debates, Super Bowl, natural disasters, social unrest, and feature photos of everyday life
Fellow
John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship, Stanford Uni
Stanford, California
09.2024 - 06.2025
Laser focus on the ethics, regulation & social impact of artificial intelligence in journalism. I'm invested in the potential of moment of capture image authentication to build public trust in news photography through the use of in camera C2PA complaint Content Credentials application.
Assistant Director of Photography
Naples Daily News
Naples, USA
12.1997 - 07.2000
- Started as staff photographer, earned promotion to Assistant Director of Photography
Education
John S. Knight Journalism Fellow - AI & Journalism
Stanford University
Stanford, Calif.06.2025
BFA - Photojournalism And International Relations
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, N.Y.12.1994
Skills
- Still Photography
- Video
- Audio
- FAA Part 107 Drone License
- Podcasting
- 3D Gaussian Splatting
- C2PA Image authentication
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Premiere
- Photo Editing
- Video Editing
- Mobile Video
- Social Media
- AI Prompting
- Citi certification
- Hostile Environment First Aid Training (HEFAT)
- CPR
- National Weather Service Storm Spotter
- Multimedia production
- Visual storytelling
- Crisis reporting
- Location Lighting
- Team leadership
- Mentorship
Awards
- Pulitzer Prize, Breaking News Photography, 2015
- St. Louis Media History Hall of Fame, 2026
- Time Magazine Top 100 Photos of the Year, 2022
- Missouri APME Best Photo of the Year, 2021
- National Headliners, 1st Place Photography Portfolio, 2015
- Lee Enterprises President’s Award, 2013
- NPPA Region 7 Photographer of the Year, 2009, 2010, 2011
- Finalist Pulitzer Prize, team coverage, Breaking News Reporting, 2009
- Regional Emmy, Advanced Media-Interactivity, 2008
- 1st Place Online Journalism Awards Multimedia Feature Medium Site, 2008
- 1st Place Best Multimedia Package, NPPA Best of Photojournalism, 2008
- 1st Place Online Videography, National Headliner Awards, 2008
- 1st Place Multimedia Interactive Atlanta Photojournalism Contest, 2007
- Honorary Citation, Rhode Island House of Representatives, 1997
- Eddie Adams Workshop, 1st ever Digital Team, 1994
- Rochester Institute of Technology, Men’s Soccer Team, NCAA Final Four, 1992
Lectures and Presentations
Lectures presented at Stanford University, Brown University, University of Missouri, University of Kentucky, University of Montana, St. Louis University, University of Southern Illinois Carbondale, University of Southern Illinois Edwardsville, Lindenwood University, Webster University, numerous high schools, middle schools and elementary schools, community groups, and professional organizations.
Speaking Engagements
- Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar, 2025
- Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI, 2025
- Richmond University, 2025
- St. Louis Public Radio Mini-Journalism School, 2019, 2025
- Rochester Institute of Technology, 2019
- National WWI Memorial Museum and Memorial, 2018
- Canadian Press Photographers Association, Annual Convention, 2016
- National Press Photographers Association, Southern Short Course, 2015
- Middle Tennessee State University, 2015
- Online News Association, Keynote Panel, 2014
Media Appearances
On-camera appearances in documentary films, on local, national, and primetime television, and interviews for stories with BBC, NPR's All Things Considered, National Geographic, The Washington Post, PetaPixel, St. Louis Public Radio, Riverfront Times and American Photography.
Timeline
President
United Media Guild
10.2024 - Current
Fellow
John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship, Stanford Uni
09.2024 - 06.2025
Staff Photojournalist
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
07.2000 - Current
Assistant Director of Photography
Naples Daily News
12.1997 - 07.2000
John S. Knight Journalism Fellow - AI & Journalism
Stanford University
BFA - Photojournalism And International Relations
Rochester Institute of Technology