A single photo made the February Journalist of the Month rise above the other military journalists who submitted to DVIDS during the month. Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Johnston’s photography for Training Support Activity Europe... read more
A single photo made the February Journalist of the Month rise above the other military journalists who submitted to DVIDS during the month. Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Johnston’s photography for Training Support Activity Europe caught the attention of the social media community as well as national media. <br /> <br />
Although he submitted several well-shot photos, his photo of a Special Forces soldier saluting while jumping out of a C-130 Hercules aircraft went viral. The photo, “Special Forces Parachute Jump in Germany,” racked up more than 3,200 views and 149 downloads on the DVIDS site alone. It was viewed an additional 50,582 times on the DVIDS Flickr page and favorited 1,237 times. <br /> <br />
However, the photo really went viral on the DVIDS Facebook page where it reached more than 900,000 people. Facebook likes, comments and shares totaled up to more than 45,000. <br /> <br />
Comments on the photo included such accolades from social media users as “Amazing”; “This is an awesome photo, just amazing”; “Wow”; “Best picture ever”; “Amazing capture!”; and “That is literally epic, wow!” <br /> <br />
In addition to the attention Johnston’s photo received on various social media channels, it also caught the eye of the media including The Huffington Post, The Telegraph in the United Kingdom, The Atlantic, CNN, WSAW-TV in Wisconsin and more. <br /> <br />
This comment on Flickr helps sum up why Johnston stood out as the journalist of the month: “Outstanding photography! Great framing and such a creative eye.” <br /> <br />
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