Keith Greenwood

Visual Framing of the Syrian Conflict in News and Public Affairs Magazines

Research indicates that international news is most often visually framed in terms of violence and disaster. Conflicts are visually framed in terms of the active participants and aftermath of battle instead of the affected bystanders or efforts to negotiate peace. An alternative frame proposed by Galtung promotes an emphasis on peaceful demonstration and negotiation instead of the usual aspects of conflict. Building on research that observed evidence of this peace framing in photographs related to conflict published in international media, this research examines visual framing of the 2011–2012 Syrian conflict that arose from the Arab Spring movement in northern Africa and the Middle East. The study analyzes 193 photographs published in two news magazines and nine public affairs magazines available to American readers to determine whether visual framing differs among magazines with differing purposes and differing political/editorial orientations. The analysis affirms the dominant visual frame of conflict through images of active fighting and victims but also notes that public affairs magazines published a higher proportion of photographs depicting peace framing. As the magazine environment becomes increasingly oriented to niche publications, the results present implications for the likelihood that a broad audience will experience similar visual framing of international news.

HOW THE WORLD LOOKS TO US

An analysis of award-winning photographs of international events from the annual Pictures of the Year competition is compared to a similar study of Pulitzer Prize-winning photographs. The analysis concludes that the award-winning photographs, which represent the best of photojournalism, portray international events through a limited number of themes that reinforce a stereotype of developing nations as violent and conflict-torn places.

Locating The Journalism in Citizen Photojournalism

The proliferation of cameras on cellphones and access to high-quality digital cameras has increased the ability of average citizens to capture and share photographs and video. The inclusion of user-generated visual content by news organizations, especially at a time of newsroom contraction, has been a source of consternation for professional photojournalists, who have emphasized their professional training and skill. Though scholars have explored the perceptions photojournalists and citizen photographers have of photojournalism and of each other, little attention so far has been directed to the visual content of citizen photojournalism, the extent to which it adheres to established photojournalism conventions, and its incorporation by mainstream news organizations. This research addresses this absence. Drawing on a content analysis of user-generated images, this study finds that in a situation involving coverage of an ongoing story of significant impact in a community, there was little citizen photojournalism presented within the mainstream coverage. Further analysis reveals that while there is some overlap between events captured by professional and citizen photojournalists, the photographs made by citizens do not generally reflect the aesthetic standards expected of professionals. The results begin to provide practical examination of conceptual concerns expressed by photojournalists regarding the use of citizen-generated content.

Self-trained and selfmotivated: Newspaper photojournalists strive for quality during technological challenges

A study of newspaper photojournalists indicates the perception of personal responsibility to learn multimedia skills is related to a photojournalists perception of work quality, suggesting those who are dedicated to learning new skills also are dedicated to producing high-quality work. Survey results indicate little is being done proactively at newspapers to provide photojournalists with training in multimedia skills or to reduce uncertainty related to technological changes and industry decline. However, the results also indicate photojournalists identify strongly with organizations that give them the freedom to explore their own ways to reduce uncertainty, resulting in higher morale and organizational trust.

Picturing defiance Visions of democracy in Iran

Photographs of international events influence the understanding viewers develop of the world. Emphasis on specific aspects of an event means other prominent aspects are overlooked. This study examines the visual framing in photographs related to Iran’s 2009 presidential election, comparing images photographers identified as their best work to those judged to be the Pictures of the Year. The analysis shows that while photographers primarily covered events leading up to the election and the violence that followed afterwards, they communicated a variety of frames through their images. The award-winning photographs, which set a standard for photojournalists, mainly depicted violent events, ignoring the civil participation of a wide range of Iranian citizens.

CONVENTIONALIZATION IN FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY

A sample of award-winning feature photographs over the life of the Pictures of the Year International competition was analyzed to identify the themes used by photographers to tell stories effectively. Results of similar studies of other types of photography suggest photographers communicate through a limited number of themes. The results of this analysis indicate feature photographs rely on fewer themes than are apparent in some other types of photographs. The authors offer suggestions for the predominance of these themes. The Pictures of the Year International competition is held annually at the University of Missouri–Columbia.

Visualizing CSR: A visual framing analysis of US multinational companies

The aim of this research study is to investigate how different levels of corporate social responsibility are visually framed through corporate publications used in marketing communications. Photographs used as visual marketing communication tools in the annual and sustainability reports of top American multinational companies that practice and promote measures of corporate social responsibility were analyzed. Findings indicate the corporations overall emphasize environmental sustainability efforts and visually communicate their practices through depictions of employees while other social responsibility efforts are often communicated through depictions of consumers. A discussion on the patterns of visual frames that communicate corporate social responsibility and the impact of visuals on organizational identity, brand image, and reputation are offered.

Beyond Framing: Influences of subject–photographer interactions on visual journalism

Visual news medias framing has been well studied; however, production factors and cultural conditions involved in photographer–subject interactions have attracted less scholarly attention although they are no less influential in determining the depiction. Guided by social constructionism theory, in-depth interviews with staff photojournalists at a daily community newspaper in the Midwest and an analysis of their work revealed 22 variables that impact how and why images look the way they do. Photojournalists have complete control of only two of these variables, share partial control of 13, but have no control over the remaining seven. The photographers also shared insights into how to improve their journalisms verisimilitude when dealing with reactive subjects. The results support concepts of social constructionism that the subjects of photographs are most comfortable with photographers who share similar characteristics, but that some characteristics can have greater influence. The results also highlight areas where photographers might focus in pursuit of authenticity in journalistic photographs. Video abstract Read the transcript Watch the video on Vimeo

Digital Photo Archives Lose Value as Record of Community History

The transition to digital archiving at U.S. newspapers has changed the selection and storages of images, altering the scope of the record. A survey indicates digital archives changed to support the mission of producing a daily newspaper but may no longer serve as an historical record.