Photos in the News-Short Essay 2

Images add an element to news stories that cannot be fulfilled otherwise, and as a result news stories act as a large caption describing events and opinions within photos. Frequently, photos are needed for the reader to get a more full idea of what the article is describing. Photos work with an article to tell a story and often educate readers on current events around the world. Particularly, in politically tainted events abroad, photos are integral in showing the tangible impacts of foreign affairs. Images can both work to benefit the argument of an article but can also belittle the authenticity and reliability of the article as well. In this paper I will outline the ways that supplemental photos to news articles can both help and hurt the evidence surrounding a story concerning long-lasting conflict in Syria.

This photo is positioned at the top of an article in the New York Times that describes recent events in Syria. The caption of this photo describes that; “People gathered to search for survivors under rubble after what activists said was a Scud missile hit in Aleppo's Tariq al Bab neighborhood on Friday” (Gladstone & Saad, 2013). The authors further articulate that rebel districts in Syria have been attacked by the government regime using scud missiles that are both inaccurate and brutal. These attacks have killed several innocent civilians and wounded and trapped even more. The dark colors and unidentifiable people in the foreground of this image help to give the article as a whole, an ominous tone at first glance. The smoke and ruble in the background also help to set the stage for a story that articulates desolate events occurring remotely from the US. The events that have recently been taking place in northern Syria are illustrated in this photo. This photo, in conjunction with the title of this article, “Scud Missile Attack Reported in Aleppo”, help to set the stage for the reader to feel sorrow for the victims of these attacks and identify themselves with those that were targeted.

The Washington Post uses this photo in another article concerning the Syrian regime’s attacks against rebel forces. The way this photo is taken from below the missiles gives the reader a very specific first impression. The intimidation factor that this photo possesses creates an oppressive tone, and because this image is placed at the top of the article it introduces the story to its audience with predisposed thoughts of tyranny. However, the caption that The Washington Post places under this photo is fairly inconspicuous and reads; “A South Korean museum displays replica Scud-B missiles somewhat similar to the Scud-Ds fired in Syria. (JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images)” (Fisher, 2012). This caption makes these missiles seem much less threatening and even out of place to the reader.  They are not even real missiles or in the same country as the news story, and this simple fact change the perspective drastically on the legitimacy of the article. Knowing the context of this photo works against the mission of the article to educate American readers about the oppressive regime within Syria.

            Images leave a trace on all stories in and outside of the news. However, news articles greatly benefit from photos that can help to tell the story as well as attract an audience. Unlike the almost effortless and unrelated photograph within the article in The Washington Post, the photo imbedded in the article from the New York Times does an impeccable job at bringing out emotion within the reader. By using a photo depicting civilian people, the New York Times is able to create a connection between its intended audience and the people in Syria being affected by President Assad’s regime. These photos are in conversation with the text of the article to bring about a new perspective and an element of reality within the readers.

New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/23/world/middleeast/scud-missile-aleppo.html?pagewanted=1&hp

Washington Post article:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/12/12/what-syrias-scud-missile-launches-tell-us-about-the-regimes-thinking/

Works Cited

Fisher, M. (2012, December 12). What Syria's Scud missile launches tells us about

the regime's thinking. The Washington Post , p. 1.

Gladstone, R., & Saad, H. (2013, February 22). Scud Missile Attack Reported in

Aleppo. The New York Times , pp. 1-3.

Short Essay 1

Short Essay 1:

The Multiple Lives of a News Story

The Weekly Standard magazine has been seen to have a conservative bias throughout its many news stories. In one article titled, “Brennan’s Evasions”, Stephen F. Hayes criticizes John Brennan’s responses during his hearing for the director position of the US Central Intelligence Agency, in front of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Hayes even states in his article that, “Brennan’s answers before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence were problematic”, referring mostly to his responses on CIA sanctioned drone assaults. By doing this, Hayes cements a tone of a traditional and conservative bias. The format and diction of this article also play direct roles in the right-winged inclination of the audience that this site usually attracts.

            My goal for this paper is to re-write or “forward” this article with a less conservative bias. I will be aiming to recast this story for a younger audience that is more likely to get their news from sources such as The Nation or the Daily Show, which are more progressive than The Weekly Standard. In order to adjust this story for a more liberal and youthful audience, I will familiarize the diction, modify the partial tone, and reconstruct the argument against John Brennan. Events surrounding the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, just like all other political events, can be understood in very differing ways.

“Brennan for the Central Intelligence Agency”

            John Brennan, President Barack Obama’s nominee to be the new director of the Central Intelligence Agency is well versed in US counter terrorism and is a 25-year CIA veteran. He has been intensely scrutinized by several Republican senators suspicious about targeted killings, a lack of transparency, and the controversy surrounding “enhanced” interrogation techniques. After being interrupted several times at his hearing with the Senate Select Committee of Intelligence, the room was mostly cleared for the rest of the hearing. Republican senator, Marco Rubio frustrated and forcefully questioned Brennan about an al-Qaeda operative held by the Tunisian government. However, this interrogation was unwarranted because the suspect in question could not have been detained within Tunisia owing to the fact that no Tunisian laws were ever broken by the man. According to an article in The Economist, Brennan addressed his stance on unmanned drones aimed to track and kill terrorist suspects. He argued that drone strikes have been used as a final play to save American lives rather than an offensive tactic to handicap terrorist groups without regard for collateral damage. Brennan has even embarked on the discussion about the inaccuracies of drone attacks and how his position could change as head of the CIA.

The investigations and inquiry into John Brennan has encompassed an examination of his past decisions and endorsements of CIA operations. This inquiry has largely been focusing on Brennan’s support of drones used to take out leaders of al-Qaeda and the dispute about American-born casualties. However, through extreme inspection of Brennan’s career and the role he will play in the future success of the CIA, he has been able to answer tough questions with both confidence and assertiveness that make him a hopeful candidate to become the incumbent director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency.

Link to original article: http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/brennan-s-evasions_700510.html

Harris’s “Taking an Approach”

Harris describes “Taking an Approach” as transforming a work into something new while keeping the essence of the original. Harris also makes a distinction between taking an approach and forwarding in which forwarding is simply adding to a dialogue about an event, and taking an approach is about citing an entire style of writing rather than just a phrase.  He describes that to take an approach on another author’s work means to follow their method of thinking throughout his or her work.  Harris describes this in terms of, “a mode is not so much a style of writing as a style of thinking” (Harris 77). I think the best example that Harris supplied when explaining how to take an approach was about music. He relates the way singers take a song that isn’t their own and refurnishes it into their own approach and technique. Harris writes that, “reworking familiar materials is a standard artistic practice” (Harris 76).

For some time now I have been visiting a blog, titled, “Brown Eyed Baker”. The author of this blog began with posts mostly of dessert recipes and directions on how to complete her unique goodies. She has since expanded to her favorite appetizers and comfort food all that are doable regardless of prior cooking knowledge. I think she takes an approach between a cookbook and food network show that allows her personality to come through in her writing and be instructive about her process. Both of these approaches she has adopted into her style and method of thinking not just writing when preparing and creating her blog posts. She expertly uses a series of photos for many of her recipes to further guide constituents and personify a cooking show on her blog. 

Errol Morris’s “Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire”

“Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire”, by Errol Morris is a very unique approach to analyzing photographs and what they mean with and without context. In my opinion, Morris has completely overanalyzed the idea of what photos truly convey. Photographs are art, they show an individuals creative lens through which they see the world. Morris articulates that, “A captionless photograph, stripped of all context, is virtually meaningless. I need to know more.” I think photographs are much more of an innovative and imaginative expression that tell a story all on their own (even without context). In addition, photos without context to back them up actually allow individuals to create their own story behind the picture. In Morris’s example of the Lusitania ship, he explains that the photo cannot be true without a situation or background to define the picture before analyzing it. However, an invented or made up story about this ship may not be historically accurate, but that is not to say it isn’t inherently true for the person who has given an unknown photo his or her own context. Morris also explains that, “The issue of truth or falsity of a photograph is only meaningful with respect to statements about the photograph”. Morris also ends his article by saying that, “Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but there are two words that can never apply to them: ‘true’ and ‘false’”. I just don’t agree with what he is trying to say here because a photo without a caption is not inherently false or wrong just because someone didn’t write where and when and why he or she took it.

Art is a lie that tells the truth. 

Harris's "Countering"

In Harris’s chapter “countering”, he further expands his views on how to address texts you don’t necessarily agree with. He articulates that, “what distinguishes the practice of countering is that it pushes beyond mere disagreement…But the aim of countering is to open up new lines of inquiry” (Harris 56-57). In this chapter, Harris additionally describes the difference between simply arguing that another author’s point of view is incorrect or flawed and rather his idea of countering or separating your views from a particular text. By doing this, you can show the limits to an author’s argument without forcing your views on another reader. By uncovering values within a text or event, an author then does not only disagree with a text, but also contribute their perspective on the story. Harris further explains that, “our texts always say more than we mean” (Harris 63), in other words, that society plays a huge role in the way people interpret what an author writes. Harris also stresses the importance of an author’s clarity concerning their stance and to use direct language in order to express their opinion in adding to the conversation of a story. Countering can be seen on the New York Times Opinionator blog. One article from February 9^th, 2013, written by Andrew Lang and Caleb McDaniel does just that. “Captivity in Black and White discusses the frailty of freedom during the Civil War. This opinion page on the New York Times is able to bring to light one belief behind one story and does so with civility. The attitude taken within this story enhances the position and supplements for a new line of thinking.