Eyes Cannot Lie Nora Ephron wrote, “The Boston Photographs” to make her argument about how the media should be able to publish photographs of death. She used the Boston Photographs as her example. The photographs were taken by Stanley Forman. They were of a woman and a child falling from a fire escape. Readers thought the photos were disturbing and should not have been published. The photographs were taken by accident when the photographer thought the woman and child would be rescued. He turned away at the very last split-second before the woman fell to her death. There were a lot of criticism for the published photographs. Ephron thought that the photos were rightfully published and argued that the pictures were irrelevant to the woman 's …show more content…
Instead of telling readers what to think through words, readers can form their own point of view from a photo. A photograph that showed different interpretations was taken during WWII after the destruction of Iwo Jima in Japan of Americans soldiers raising an American flag in the ruins. Some viewers may perceive this act as patriotic, and others may have thought it was an act of terrorism and revenge. Either opinion could be argued and the photograph is the evidence. Since photographs can be unbiased, they can also hold truthful detail. For example, one photograph from the Vietnam war depicted a Vietnamese police officer shooting a Viet Cong in the streets. There are a lot of emotion in that photograph that words cannot describe all; which included the fear and hostility that was upheld during the time. Newspapers need to print more of these kinds of photographs to educate people the ugliness of war and death. Ephron pointed out, “throughout the Vietnam War, editors were reluctant to print atrocity pictures. . . That 's what that war was about.” War and its deaths are a part of history too, and history needs to be kept true and unbiased. As long as the photos are not altered nor used for propaganda, they can be …show more content…
While Ephron argued that photos of death and war should be published just because it happened, but those photos do have some purpose. They are to preserve history, accurately record events, and be able to convey strong messages to readers. Photojournalism should be able to open minds of readers because the stories do not necessarily have to be told in a picture. Stories of war and death must be respected and honored, so these kinds of stories should not be unmentioned nor censored. They should be remembered. Also, photojournalism should not be abused in any sort to keep the integrity of the stories being captured. Ephron had said, “photojournalism is often more powerful than written journalism,” because it can cause a quicker response. Photojournalism is not only a piece of news, but it is also art. Works of art have the right to be expressed and shown to the
For Emerson, the reticent beauty of nature was the motivator. To him, photography should be recognized because its still-life beauty was able to persuade the public’s appreciation of the life and nourishment
In conclusion, while books, photos, movies and other historical documentation can portray information or a message about wartime events, they will never be able to produce the feelings of those that were personally involved in wars have experienced. Yet, it is incorrect to criticize these writers. The information they reveal is still very important historical information. Even if a reader or viewer of this media cannot feel exactly the same emotions as those involved, they still often experience an emotional connection to the events being depicted. This is important, not only for the historical knowledge gained about wars, but also to understand the nature and futility of their occurrence.
Originally published in 1975, Nora Ephron’s essay “The Boston Photographs” is both still relevant and controversial almost forty years later. It deals with the series of three photographs that were published in newspapers across the country. The most important one shows a mother and child falling off a collapsed fire escape. Both have their limbs outstretched. If both had survived, maybe the reaction would have been different. The child survived by landing miraculously on the mother, but the mother ended up dying. The question on everyone’s mind was why the photographer, Stanley Forman, decided to take the photographs instead of trying to help the falling mother and child.
On March 5, 1770 a bloody conflict broke out that was later called the Boston Massacre. The Boston Massacre came to be when Edward Garrick a 13 year old apprentice taunted British sentry man Private Hugh White. Retaliating against the boy's insults Hugh White struck the child on the side of the head with his musket. Hearing garrick's cries of pain a large crowd gathered around Hugh White shouting and throwing things at him. Captain Thomas Preston was alerted of the situation and led six soldiers of the 29th regiment (and a non-commissioned officer) in Hugh's defense. The crowd grew larger as insults were thrown at both sides. The now mob-like crowd began throwing snowballs,ice, and sticks at the soldiers and threatening them with clubs. At
Pictures cannot be reenacted; therefore, this is why photographs are noteworthy. This statement rings valid; many people, including Nora Ephron, agree with it. Moreover, Ephron writes a final essay called “The Boston Photographs”, and she references an occurrence where a woman deceased. The photographs of her and her child falling are visible in news articles. People believe that these pictures were too private. Nevertheless, Ephron believes that newspapers should not censor obscenities from the public because they represent certain issues. A comparable theme of death appears in a recent photograph of the blood-spattered death of many Syrian inhabitants by the air strikes of the Syrian government.
The mass media carries with it unparalleled opportunities to impart information, but also opportunities to deceive the public, by misrepresenting an event. While usually thought of as falsifying or stretching facts and figures, manipulation can just as easily be done in the use of photography and images. These manipulations may be even more serious – and subtle – than written manipulations, since they may not be discovered for years, if ever, and can have an indelible and lasting impact on the viewer, as it is often said, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. One of the most significant images of Twentieth Century America was the photograph of a migrant mother holding her child. The photograph was taken during the Great Depression by photographer Dorothea Lange, and has remained an enduring symbol of the hardship and struggle faced by many families during the Depression Era. This image was also an example of the manipulation of photography, however, for it used two major forms of manipulation that remain a problem in journalistic photography.
Against a bleak backdrop, U.S troops stand thrusting an American flag into the grey skies. The shards of wreckage at their feet speak of the arduous journey these soldiers had taken to reach the summit of the mountain. Despite the grim setting on the ground, the American flag waves on in a perfect manner swaying along with the wind gusts. As a photograph taken by Joe Rosenthal in 1945, this image of U.S troops raising a flag in Iwo Jima during World War II served as a symbol of hope and victory for the American public during the gruesome end to war. The photograph earned Rosenthal a Pulitzer Prize, and showed the extant of the power of a photograph to elicit emotion from an audience. These emotions have the ability to affect ones’ perception towards what the photograph is depicting. However, if these photographs can produce an emotional response, is it possible for them to steer the perception of the audience in a desired direction? If so, is there a way for one to sift through the possible propaganda?
Each photo drags the reader into reality. The visual elements not only help the reader continue to read the article but also provide a voice. By voice I mean each photo has a different story to it that is under the argument of rising poverty rates. Each photo was taken in black-and-white as if it was representing how the poor citizens of these communities were viewing the world they are in. The dark and gloomy photos was creating an exaggerated atmosphere that the reader was undergoing when reading the photo essay. Everything seemed to be moving in one direction, distress. As a reader, this photo essay appeals to me because I feel an emotional attachment to the photos while getting factual evidence to prove the thesis. When reading through the argument it was clear that the author was credited. Knowing that there was a photographer who took the trip around the United States to capture each moment of the lives of these poor citizens makes this photo essay reliable. From the way, the author was describing the communities to the black-and-white colors of the photos there was a realization that I made while reading the
Collective memory plays a huge role in this story because as it was looked at earlier, this public, complex, unstable symbol is just a photograph. The story passed on from mouth to mouth is what can be complex and maintained by society. Most people have heard the idiom “bad news travels fast”, well some like to say so does collective memory (not really but for the purpose of this paper let’s go with it). Think about how much more interesting it is to talk about how Joe Rosenthal’s photograph was really staged, and not authentic at all. It’s so much more interesting to gossip about the latest wartime photograph than what is going on in the lives of celebrities anyway. In the journal article on collective memory, it is pointed out that “conversations may promote the formation of a collective memory as much as, if not more than, a textbook, a memorial, a commemoration” (Coman et al.). In the instance of the raising of the flag of Iwo Jima, social contagion, “the spread of a memory – true or false – from person to person through social interaction” (Coman et al.), was just as popular as the printing of the picture. Rumors were circulating all around and in his book “Flag of Our Fathers” John Bradley explains how this myth began to enter the mouths of Americans to begin
However, some believe the decision to not release Jarecke’s photo was less about protecting the readers than preserving the “dominant narrative” of a good, clean war. According to Stella Kramer, freelance photo editor for Life, “As far as Americans are concerned, nobody ever died” (DeGhett 81). Photographs tell stories and Jarecke’s told a story about the effects of combat, and allied air strikes. I believe that photos such as these should be published, if we are fighting in a war we should be able to face the effects of it. War is something that should not be taken lightly, therefore we need to face the devastating effects. These photographs serve as a reminder to those who may not understand the severity of war that people die fighting each day so that we can live in a world of
In today's world, photographs are the most form of media to deliver news and messages. They depict the mere fact, but are censored to hide violence. Such an act conceals the reality of life and is unfair. Graphic images must always be exposed to the public as they present the blatant reality and educate people about world crisis.
The motivations behind why photos were taken will be explored, such as propaganda, as well as reactions to them. Research into events being photographed, their intentions and who requested them will be made, also assessing its effect on the public determining success. B. SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE Battle field photography was not developed for the sole purpose of recording events as would a newspaper or painting. Battlefield photography brought intense images directly from the field to the public, bringing the horrors of war to families so far from their husbands and sons (Niller). The photography institution brought the reality of war to the public in manners newspapers were incapable of (Harvey 73).
Photographs are used to document history, however selected images are chosen to do so. Often times these images graphically show the cruelty of mankind. In her book, Regarding the Pain of Others, Susan Sontag asks, "What does it mean to protest suffering, as distinct from acknowledging it?" To acknowledge suffering is just to capture it, to point it out and show somebody else that it exists. In order to protest suffering, there has to be some sort of moral decision that what is shown in the photograph is wrong, and a want from the viewer to change that.
“I have been a witness, and these pictures are my testimony. The events I have recorded should not be forgotten and must not be repeated” (Nachtwey). Photojournalism is the art or practice of communicating news by photographs, especially in magazines. Photojournalism has evolved immensely from the beginning to the present. Photojournalism developed during the Crimean War, submitted to its evolution throughout the course of the Golden Age, and eventually settled on its present-day existence today.
Photojournalism plays a critical role in the way we capture and understand the reality of a particular moment in time. As a way of documenting history, the ability to create meaning through images contributes to a transparent media through exacting the truth of a moment. By capturing the surreal world and presenting it in a narrative that is relatable to its audience, allows the image to create a fair and accurate representation of reality.