'Steve Sweitzer was one of a kind'

The world of Indiana broadcast journalism has suffered a profound loss. Steve Sweitzer, Chief Photographer at WISH-TV for many years, passed away May 21, 2026, after a brief illness. He was 76.

Steve also was a reporter, editor and videographer for Patty Spitler’s independent shows, “Pet Pals TV” and “Great Day TV,” where he did a popular segment called Steve’s Tech Talk. He was a close friend of Patty’s and many other WISH-TV associates through the years.

“He wasn’t just a fabulous photographer, editor and reporter, Steve was a genuine and caring individual. I am completely devastated,” says Patty. “The world lost a wonderful man. Steve Sweitzer was one of a kind.”

Joy Hernandez, a WISH-TV photographer since 2004, remembers Steve as a mentor who helped to guide her during her early career at the station.

“When I moved here, Steve Sweitzer probably had the single-biggest impact on my career,” says Joy. “He was probably one of the most patient and kind-in-his-guidance people I’ve ever met, and definitely so in a workplace. Steve made sure I had guidance as well as the freedom to grow in the knowledge I was absorbing daily.”

Steve and Patty

Steve’s tenacious approach and constant striving for perfection in photography and video journalism was matched by his generous attitude and likeable personality. He was a role model personally and professionally.

In 1971, he graduated from Earlham College with a degree in photojournalism and earned a Master’s Degree from Indiana University in 1987. According to WISHTV.com, his first stint at Channel 8 began shortly before the Blizzard of ’78.

“I had been waiting tables before I got hired here. I just absolutely loved it. I couldn’t believe somebody was actually willing to pay me. I really loved what I was doing,” Steve shared for a special segment honoring the station’s photographers. “(And) for the longest time, if you mentioned the Blizzard of ’78, everybody had stories, everybody knew where they were.”

Steve left the then-CBS affiliate and went to WHAS-TV in Louisville for the “Louisville Tonight” magazine program. After the show was canceled, he returned to WISH-TV in 1982 as Chief Photographer through 1990. 

 “Then I was the chief of all the guys that had trained me. That was a little bit funny,” Steve joked.

His decades in that role saw WISH-TV’s first-in-the-country adoption of Sony’s Betacam videography technology, meaning new cameras for everyone. He twice lead the station’s 15-person photo staff in winning Indiana News Photography Station of the Year and also won the title of Indiana News Photographer of the Year in 1985.

According to an obituary from the National Press Photographers Foundation, his career took him across the world documenting history and important moments of modern American journalism. He supervised coverage following the September 11 attacks in New York City, field-produced reporting from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, coordinated political convention coverage for decades, and oversaw WISH-TV’s coverage of the 2008 Super Bowl in Miami.

That love for storytelling began early, writes the NPPF. Introduced to photography by his father, Steve became captivated watching images appear in darkroom trays beneath the basement stairs of his childhood home. He embraced the craft throughout his life. After earning a degree in Photographic Journalism from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, and a master’s degree in journalism from Indiana University, he built a career that blended visual storytelling, journalistic honesty, and technological innovation.

Steve sensibly embraced every evolution in visual journalism with enthusiasm, says the NPPF. “Be willing to continually learn and evolve,” Steve once said in an interview. “Embrace new technologies and learn to master them.” He believed it was vital to the future of storytelling for professionals to adapt, learn, and experiment.

Steve and Sheila with Ghost

Since 2000, Steve was the owner-operator of Sweitzer Productions, which provided video and still photography, editing, writing, reporting and field producing services. His clients included “60 Minutes,” “CBS Sunday Morning,” “CBS News,” “48 Hours” and “The Letterman Show.”

For over 20 years, Sweitzer taught courses for the Journalism Department at the former Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) where he received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching. For over 10 years he taught the core “introduction to journalism multi-media tools” required for all journalism students as well as an advanced photojournalism course and Studio Production.

Steve was inducted into the Indiana Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2021, a most deserved honor.

The award-winning journalist was a former president of the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) and received their Sprague Award, the organization’s highest honor for his achievements and contributions to the field of photojournalism. He was chair of the NPPA’s Advanced StoryTelling Workshop, an intensive weeklong advanced program for experienced TV news journalists from around the world. Sweitzer also had judged numerous contests including the organization’s Best of Photojournalism contest and the White House News Photographers contest.

From NPPF: In memory of Steve Sweitzer, please consider supporting the mission he cared so deeply about by contributing to the future of photojournalism and visual storytelling. This fund has been established with the permission of Steve’s family to honor his legacy and support the causes he cared deeply about. Visit https://nppf.org/memorial/steve-sweitzer/ to donate.

Steve is survived by his wife of 48 years, Sheila; son Brian and daughter-in-law Xue Zheng, daughter Erin and husband Aaram Isah, granddaughter Keiran Elizabeth Isah, and his handsome white German Shepherd, Ghost.

Steve's family

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