A Comment on the Journalistic Image as Visual Sociology

The Journalistic Image as Visual Sociology


This section describes an image of Richard Nixon looking dejected as he walks along a carpet leading from the White House to a helicopter waiting outside. Richard Nixon is leaving the White House in shame after standing down as the President of the United States (Becker 1998: 93).

At the time this was a recognisable photograph to anyone in the world following the news. But like all other news photographs, it looses its meaning over time after the moment has passed. Today the image does not have the same connotations as it is no longer contemporary. People looking at the image today would not know what it signifies unless provided with the background and context of the image (Becker 1998: 93-94).

Interesting news photographs usually become documentary, but in this instance Becker questions whether the Nixon image could be part of a sociological analysis. One example he gives is that it could be used to study the way in which the media deal with political scandal using photographic evidence. A correct sociological analysis of this issue would be to compare photographs of Nixon at various points during his career. He would be a good subject for analysis because he was so well known and there are many photographic representations of him

However, no matter which type of label is placed on a photograph, it will still be read differently by people depending on their knowledge of the background information and context of the particular image (Becker 1998: 94).

LIST OF REFERENCES

Becker, H. (1998) ‘Visual Sociology, Documentary Photography, and Photojournalism: It’s (Almost) All a Matter of Context’. In Image Based Research: A Sourcebook for Qualitative Researchers. Ed. by Prosser, J. Abingdon: RoutledgeFalmer: 84-96