Paul Martin Lester
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{{COI|date=July 2018}}
{{Notability|1=Biographies|date=May 2023}}
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{{Infobox person
| name = Paul Martin Lester
| image = File:Lester 2018.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date|1953|3|21}}
| birth_place = Flushing, Queens, New York, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|11|12|1953|3|21}}
| death_place = Dallas, Texas, U.S.
| occupation = Professor of communications, author, photojournalist
}}
Paul Martin Lester (March 21, 1953 – November 12, 2023) was an American professor of communications, photojournalist, and author known for his contributions to the fields of visual communication and photojournalism ethics. He was Clinical Professor at the School of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (ATEC) and a Professor Emeritus from California State University, Fullerton.
Early life and education
Paul Martin Lester was born on March 21, 1953, in Flushing, Queens. He completed his undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. Lester then worked as a photojournalist for The Times-Picayune in New Orleans. He pursued further education, earning a Master's degree from the University of Minnesota and a Ph.D. in mass communications from Indiana University School of Journalism in Bloomington.
Career
Lester began his career as a photojournalist and later transitioned into academia, involved in the study of visual communication and media ethics. He co-wrote the monthly column "Ethics Matters" for News Photographer magazine, the official publication of the National Press Photographers Association. From 2006 to 2011, he served as the editor of Visual Communication Quarterly. Subsequently, he was appointed editor of Journalism & Communication Monographs, a journal sponsored by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) and published by Sage Publications.{{Cite web|url=http://paulmartinlester.info/|title=paul . martin . lester|website=paulmartinlester.info}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1116750728?ean=9780534637200|title=Visual Communication: Images with Messages (with InfoTrac) / Edition 4|Paperback|first=Barnes &|last=Noble|website=Barnes & Noble}}
Lester's research interests included mass media ethics, new communications technologies, and visual communications. His book, Visual Communication: Images with Messages, explored the interpretation and impact of visual media.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15551393.2024.2303304 |title=Remembering Paul Martin Lester, Ph.D. (1953–2023) |journal=Visual Communication Quarterly |doi=10.1080/15551393.2024.2303304 |date=2024-03-28 |access-date=2024-06-26 |last1=Yambor |first1=Marjorie |last2=Blankenmeister |first2=Paul |last3=King |first3=Cynthia M. |last4=Brown |first4=James W. |last5=Mullen |first5=Lawrence |volume=31 |pages=3–12 }} Lester's dissertation on photojournalism ethics was a serious academic exploration on the topic.
Lester was a speaker, delivering presentations and workshops across the United States and in countries such as Australia, Canada, Finland, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey.{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-UIVAgAAQBAJ&q=paul+martin+lester&pg=PR11 | title=Digital Innovations for Mass Communications: Engaging the User| isbn=978-1-135-09704-2| last1=Lester| first1=Paul Martin| date=2013-11-12| publisher=Routledge}}
Lester died on November 12, 2023 from a long illness. In his final months, he chose not to pursue an organ transplant, reflecting his personal beliefs and values.{{Cite web|url=https://obits.dallasnews.com/us/obituaries/dallasmorningnews/name/paul-lester-obituary?id=53598202 |title=Paul Martin Lester}}
Legacy
A memorial scholarship fund was established in his name by the National Press Photographers Foundation to support the education of aspiring photojournalists, ensuring his legacy continues to influence the field.{{Cite web|url=https://nppf.org/paul-lester-memorial-contribution/ |title=Paul Lester, Ph.D. Memorial Contribution |website=nppf.org |access-date=2024-06-26}}
Personal life
Lester was known for his charismatic personality and ability to deeply connect with people.
Lester had a wide range of interests, including travel, technology, cooking, and music. He frequently combined his professional work with his passion for exploring different cultures. An early adopter of digital photography and online learning, he developed a synchronous course in Second Life.
Lester was married and had three children. His daughter, Allison Lester, followed his footsteps and became a scholar and teacher.
Books
- [https://www.routledge.com/Visual-Ethics-A-Guide-for-Photographers-Journalists-and-Media-Makers/Lester-Martin-Smith-Rodden/p/book/9781032151908 Visual Ethics A Guide for Photographers, Journalists, and Filmmakers] (2018)
- [https://www.routledge.com/Digital-Innovations-for-Mass-Communications-Engaging-the-User/Lester/p/book/9780415662949 Digital Innovations for Mass Communication Engaging the User] (2014)
- [https://www.routledge.com/Visual-Communication-on-the-Web/burrough-Lester/p/book/9780415521482 Visual Communication on the Web] (2013) with Xtine Burrough.
- [https://www.academia.edu/34185802/Visual_Comm_7th_Edition Visual Communication Images with Messages] 1st ed, 1996; latest (7th) Edition 2017. According to WorldCat, the book is held in 488 libraries
- translated into Chinese by Xiaoting Zhang; Meixue Yang as 視覺傳播/Shi jue chuan bo
- [https://umbrella.lib.umb.edu/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma994458943503746&context=L&vid=01MA_UMB:01MA_UMB&lang=en&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=Everything&query=sub%2Cexact%2CStereotypes%20(Social%20psychology)%2CAND&mode=advanced Images that Injure Pictorial Stereotypes in the Media]. Co-edited with Susan Ross, 1st ed. 1996; 3rd Edition (2011) Santa Barbara:Prager. According to WorldCat, the book is held in 3792 libraries.{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldcat.org/wcidentities/lccn-no90023002|title=Lester, Paul Martin [WorldCat.org]|website=www.worldcat.org}}
- [https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/O/On-Floods-and-Photo-Ops On Floods and Photo Ops: How Herbert Hoover and George W. Bush Exploited Catastrophes] Jackson : University Press of Mississippi, 2010.
- [https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=The+Zen+of+Photography&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 The Zen of Photography] (2007). [Persian Edition].
- Visual Journalism A Guide for New Media Professionals with Christopher R. Harris. Boston : Allyn and Bacon, 2002.
- [https://www.iuniverse.com/BookStore/BookDetails/135516-The-Spiral-Web-on-the-Nature-of-Coincidence The Spiral Web On the Nature of Coincidence] (2000).
- The Zen of Photography (2000).
- Desktop Computing Workbook A Guide for Using 15 Programs in Macintosh and Windows Formats (1996).
- Photojournalism An Ethical Approach (1991).
- Ethics of Photojournalism (1990), (ed.).
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://paulmartinlester.info/ Website]
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Category:University of Texas at Dallas faculty
Category:California State University, Fullerton faculty
Category:Moody College of Communication alumni
Category:University of Minnesota alumni
Category:Indiana University Bloomington alumni