Media colours the way that we see the world...

Even in black and white, photographs are a powerful conveyor of messages created and transmitted by the media.

Think about the most powerful image you have ever seen. There are many.

One of them includes this:

I think almost everyone would agree. Anecdotally, I remember my teacher telling me that this was the photograph that changed the face of the Vietnam war. One simple photograph.

Only, this photograph is not so simple. It’s what it says that matters. It speaks of horror. It speaks of pain. It speaks of devastation. It speaks of injustice.

Photographer Nick Ut says of his famous photo:

The pictures were shown in America, they were shown everywhere. They were shown in all the Communist countries - in China and in Vietnam. They still use the photo. Even though pictures [are taken] in every war, they still show the picture of Kim. They don't want it to happen again - not napalm. (Ut, 2005, para. 16-17)

The way that people experience the pain and suffering of others can be shaped through photographs.

Think of the Dove ads. They’re familiar and comforting. They convey a strong message about self-esteem, and about self-confidence.

But what do they also say to us about the pain and suffering of others? They tell us that others feel the same way as we do. They convey a message of solidarity; of unity. They make us feel as though we’re not alone.

And not only that, “Dove has created a marketing campaign which…generated wide interest from the media and consumers alike, promoting Dove as a campaigner for ordinary women everywhere” (“Dove campaign,” 2005, p. 12). By doing so, Dove has used the photograph, through the media, to to change the way that women see themselves, and see the world around them.

References

Dove campaign for real beauty case study: innovative marketing strategies in the beauty industry (2005, June). Rockville: Market Research.com.

Ut, N. (2005 May 9). Picture power: Vietnam napalm attack. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4517597.stm

Photo credit – Napalm attack: © Nick Ut, June 1972

Photo credit – Dove ad