BTS: Jon Cherry on Photographing January 6th and Living With the Aftermath

Pulitzer Prize–winning photojournalist Jon Cherry joins Bad Photographers for an unfiltered, long-form conversation about documenting the January 6th Capitol Riot and living with the images that followed.

Cherry takes us inside the chaos of that day, reflecting on what it meant to photograph history as it unfolded, the weight of responsibility that comes with bearing witness, and the emotional toll of covering political violence. He opens up about freelancing under pressure, the long road to healing after trauma, and how his career and personal life, were reshaped in the aftermath.

This 2-hour episode goes beyond the headlines, pairing deep reflection with visual context from the day itself, to explore what happens after the photographs are made — when the cameras are down, the adrenaline fades, and photographers are left to process what they’ve seen.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

01:22 The Impact of January 6th

04:45 Finding a Voice in Photojournalism

08:47 Reflections on Personal Connections

09:41 The Journey to January 6th

12:58 The Build-Up to the Capitol Riot

16:30 The Day of the Capitol Riot

21:40 Experiences at the Capitol

24:58 Documenting the Unfolding Events

26:42 Confrontation and Tension at the Riot

30:46 Preparation and Equipment Challenges

38:31 The March Towards the Capitol

42:50 Chaos at the Inaugural Platform

49:04 Moments of Acceptance and Fear

49:59 Breaking Windows and Capturing Chaos

52:58 The Aftermath of January 6th

55:52 Navigating the Challenges of Freelancing

59:57 The Pulitzer Prize and Personal Reflection

01:05:59 The Sticky Pulitzer and Community Support

01:09:57 Processing Trauma and Building Resilience

01:21:08 The Weight of Experience

01:24:49 Healing Through Reflection

01:30:02 The Journey of Self-Discovery

01:35:35 The Role of a Photographer

01:41:45 Curiosity and Responsibility in Photography

Jon's Website: ⁠https://jonpcherry.com⁠

Jon's Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/jonpcherry/⁠

Bad Photographers Website: ⁠https://bad-photographers.com⁠

Keywords Elements In This Episode

John Cherry, January 6th, Capitol Riot, photojournalism, documentary photography, storytelling, emotions, chaos, experience, insights, January 6th, Capitol Riot, Pulitzer Prize, photojournalism, trauma, community support, personal growth, freelance photography, emotional processing, storytelling