By Jim Colton
It’s been said that photographs speak volumes…and they do so without uttering a single word. Like math and music, photography is truly a universal language. It is understood and appreciated by all who view it, regardless of what continent you’re on. In the landlocked Central European country of Slovakia, the news magazine .týždeň is making its photographic voice heard loud and clear.
Half the size of Indiana, Slovakia’s population is a whopping 5.4 million people. Reaching out to that audience as well as Slovaks abroad since 2004, .týždeň’s impact on visuals has not gone unnoticed here in the US where it has been recognized by some of the largest photography contests. When the awards were announced, many photojournalists (including yours truly) were asking the question, “What’s .týždeň?”
In addition to publishing some remarkable imagery from around the world, .týždeň puts an international spin on US stories and displays, quite handsomely, many American photographers’ work throughout its pages. The driving force behind that visual display is its Creative Director Róbert Csere who was named Magazine Picture Editor of the Year three times by the NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism contest as well as receiving honors from POYi.
According to Csere, “The publishing of a serious print magazine in Slovakia is on the edge between a miracle and madness!” Join us as we have a conversation with the dynamic, spirited and often humorous Róbert Csere.
https://nppa.org/page/photo-journal-r%C3%B3bert-csere-and-t%C3%BD%C5%BEde%C5%88