Shahira Fahmy

Picturing the Iraq War Constructing the Image of War in the British and US Press

This study reports the findings of a visual content analysis of 1305 Iraq War-related photographs appearing in the US press, represented by The New York Times, and the British press, represented by The Guardian . Overall, the two newspapers visually portrayed the Iraq War differently. Further, the more spontaneous or direct coverage of actually ongoing events were rare at best, and were exclusively found in photographs that ran in The Guardian. One aspect of the pictorial coverage, however, seems unprecedented: the emphasis on the human cost of the war focusing on Iraqi civilians. Moreover, images of loss of military life were scarce but still available.

Picturing Afghan Women A Content Analysis of AP Wire Photographs During the Taliban Regime and after the Fall of the Taliban Regime

This study content analyzes the depiction of Afghan women in AP (Associated Press) photographs during the Taliban regime and after the fall of the Taliban regime. Analysis is based on visual subordination, point of view, social distance, imaginary contact, behavior and general portrayal. Findings suggest despite signs of visual subordination and framing stereotypes, women after the fall of the Taliban regime are portrayed as more involved, interactive, more socially intimate and symbolically equal to the viewer. Analysis shows AP photographs portray a more complex version of Afghan women’s liberation. Women after the fall of the Taliban regime are depicted still wearing their burqas, reflecting the complexity of a social liberation movement in a traditional society.

Emerging Alternatives or Traditional News Gates Which News Sources Were Used to Picture the 9/11 Attack and the Afghan War?

This study examines news sources used to visually portray the 11 September 2001 attack and the war in Afghanistan in the English-language newspaper The International Herald Tribune and the Arabic-language newspaper Al-Hayat. Differences were noted between news sources of images depicting the 9/11 attack and the Afghan War. However, despite these differences, the vast majority of photographs were from the main western news agencies: AP, AFP and Reuters. Results overall suggest, while there is no indication of changes in patterns of information flow, western news agencies provide a variety of news to be framed differently by different media.

Contrasting visual frames of our times: A framing analysis of English- and Arabic-language press coverage of war and terrorism

By operationalizing visual frames in terms of the human-interest vs technical frame and the anti-war vs the pro-war frame, and exploring the use of two sets of framing devices: graphic portrayal and emphasis, this framing analysis of 1387 photographs examined contrasting visual narratives employed by English- and Arabic-language transnational press in covering the 9/11 attack and the Afghan War. For the English-language newspaper, the International Herald Tribune, the frames emphasized the human suffering of 9/11 and de-emphasized the civilian casualties and moral guilt of implementing military force in Afghanistan by focusing more on a pro-war frame that showed the complex military high-tech operations and patriotic pictures. For the Arabic-language newspaper, Al-Hayat, the frames focused less on the victims and more on the material destruction of 9/11 and humanized the victims of the Afghan War. Furthermore, it focused on an anti-war frame by running visuals of anti-war protests and emphasizing graphic visuals portraying the humanitarian crisis in the Muslim country of Afghanistan.

What Katrina Revealed: A Visual Analysis of the Hurricane Coverage by News Wires and U.S. Newspapers

Results of a comparative visual analysis of front-page photographs in U.S. newspapers and photographs distributed by the Associated Press and Reuters wire services revealed that gatekeeping decisions played an influential role in the coverage of Hurricane Katrina in the late summer of 2005. Front-page photographs differed significantly from photographs provided by news wires. Overall, our analyses challenge the notion that decisions made by wire services dictate the visual coverage of a news event and suggest that gatekeeping selections and use of available information are key factors in visual framing.

The CNN of the Arab World or a Shill for Terrorists? How Support for Press Freedom and Political Ideology Predict Credibility of Al-Jazeera among its Audience

/ This study surveyed Al-Jazeera viewers through a survey posted on the networks Arabic-language website to examine how credible Al-Jazeera viewers judge the network. Not surprisingly, Al-Jazeera viewers rated the network as highly credible on all measures. They rated CNN and BBC high on expertise, but ranked them low on trustworthiness. Consequently, BBC and CNN were also rated low on other credibility measures. Local Arab media were judged lowest on all credibility measures. Those who were younger and who relied heavily on Al-Jazeera were more likely to judge the network as credible.

Show the Truth and Let the Audience Decide: A Web-Based Survey Showing Support among Viewers of Al-Jazeera for Use of Graphic Imagery

This survey examines how viewers of Al-Jazeera perceive the networks presentation of graphic and war-related visuals and whether the viewers perceive that the TV channel provides visual information they cannot find in national Arab media, CNN, and other Western media. Nearly 9 in 10 respondents supported the use of graphic imagery saying watching those visuals was a good decision for them and that the network provides a unique source of visual information. Further, attitudes toward press freedom and media reliance correlated with support for graphic visuals after controlling for demographic variables.

Gatekeeping and citizen journalism: The use of social media during the recent uprisings in Iran, Egypt, and Libya:

This critical study focuses on three major conflicts involving protests in the Middle East and North Africa. From a theoretical perspective, this research expands the study of gatekeeping by examining the characteristics of gatekeeping practices by citizen journalists. Overall findings suggest traditional ‘gatekeepers’ continue to maintain the status quo regarding news about conflict zones.

How Online Journalists Rank Importance of News Skills

While students should focus on traditional journalism skills, a new survey of online editors shows digital skills rise in importance when these editors are asked what kind of training they want new employees to have five years from now.

“They Took It Down”: Exploring Determinants of Visual Reporting in the Toppling of the Saddam Statue in National and International Newspapers

This cross-national research examines the visual framing of the toppling of the Saddam Hussein statue. It explores the influences of competing contextual variables and newspaper attributes on frequency and overall tone of photographs. The results of examinations of the coverage in 43 newspapers of 30 countries suggest one important difference across newspapers involved the number of photographs each newspaper published. Further, findings indicate U.S. newspapers overall ran more visuals depicting a victory/liberation frame than newspapers from coalition and non-coalition countries.