It has been, to put it mildly, a momentous year. After the instability of 2020, defined by the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and a presidential election, let’s be honest: Many of us breathed a sigh of relief. Then the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol happened. Then the virus surged again.

The country, and Capitol Hill, attempted to get back to normal, but it just didn’t happen. Chronicling these events is what journalists do. It’s our job. And at CQ Roll Call, we are extremely fortunate to have a long tradition of photojournalism that captures the moments that define politics, on a historic level and at a very human level. 

Bill Clark, Tom Williams and Caroline Brehman had quite a task in narrowing down their photos of the year, and it’s always great to have them on the Political Theater podcast to discuss how they work, what moments stay with them and their reflections on the images that defined 2021.

Show Notes:

• CQ Roll Call’s Photos of the Year 2021
• Photos of the year so far: Turbulent times
• A COVID year in 5 photos
• Photos of the week: Second annual impeachment edition
• TIME’s Top 100 Photos of 2021 – Time Magazine