Images and videos used by the media can send powerful messages to the viewing public. I think they are essential in capturing reality that truly can’t be described in words. Take for example this picture which has been made into a statue in Washington D.C.
It can be a very powerful tool in evoking a certain emotion. The question is to what extent do photographs evoke a change in public opinion? Should certain images be withheld from the public?
The Times article “The Pentagon and Pictures of Soilders Coffin’s” talks about the ban (which has been lifted) that the Pentagon had issued on media images of solder’s cofins as they returned from Iraq or Afganistan. http://lookingaround.blogs.time.com/2009/02/27/the-pentagon-and-pictures-of-soldiers-coffins/ The author claims that “pictures don’t makeup our minds for us. They don’t tell us the answers and we don’t expect them to. What they tell us is why the questions are important”.
Pictures themselves may not change public opinon but the context in which they are presented can. Images are used to convey a certain message and this can be used to affirm or discredit certain views and arguments.
I think images taken of war is important and should be shown but it is also the media’s responsibility of discussing the issue throughly. The media today focuses on details of a story but does not discuss the whole picture. The media does not do it’s watchdog role; it doesn’t ask the tough questions.
It is very crucial to understand the different sides of an issue and how the images are being interpreted. It also goes without saying that it is also equally important to verify the veracity of an image. Here is a site that highlights a few examples of images that had been altered. http://zombietime.com/reuters_photo_fraud/
Correct, pictures and videos are vital parts of the News. During the Vietnam War, it was images from the Tet offensive which caused public opinion to shift from pro to anti-war. It is because pictures are such a powerful tool and are able to convey so much information (a picture is worth a thousand words), that people alter them to convey the information they desire. However, it is not only done by news agencies, magazines are also cited for photo-shopping or airbrushing photos. However, the fact that digitally altering photos is so prevalent, goes to show how important they are and how much power they have over the viewer. It is also important for the reader to remember that eyes can be deceiving and just like news occasionally requires a grain of salt, so too pictures and videos.
ReplyDeleteAgreed with Ezra. People still have to be discerning when looking at images. But, as with most things, I assume the majority (overwhelming majority!) don't think that way.
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