hopes

english 570 – intro to multimedia design

Walter Cronkite states that it is the responsibility of the educated to make a difference, to change the way society is working in order to suppress and/or expunge us of war. I wonder, though, if it is possible to do that when, if what Carlin says is true, there are universities churning out “educated� people to promote war. Is it a losing battle or is it one that should be fought daily in order to reach that promised land of peace?

Howard Zinn writes, “The images on television were heartbreaking.� (Zinn, vii) When we, as a society, are faced with emotional images that become the impetus for anger that then feeds into a mob-mentality of retaliation, what kinds of images can change that anger into a non-violent action? What types of images will promote peace?

We see people jumping out of buildings, fleeing from dropped bombs, burning effigies, decapitations, and stonings. If historical context defines how we culturally interpret those images, we must change the historical context to define the images as an incentive for change in the ways we deal with such actions. But is this possible?

Cronkite suggests that we must employ the very communications that are being used to fight wars and use it to create peace. In the photo below, taken by Krishna109, protestors who seem to be fighting against war are promoting violence. If we are, as Sturken and Cartwright assert, processing images with a single glance, would we be able to ascertain that this may not be an anti-war protest? This may not be a peaceful demonstration? A single glance, in this case may not work. A careful assessment of the entire image may. But who takes time for that in this busy world? (The woman’s shirt says “God Hates Fags.comâ€? – a group of conservative evangelical Christians.)

Using the communication resources that are currently available to us to promote a philosophy is smart. However, I believe that it’s also important to understand how those same technologies could be used to promote an ideological point of view that is very different and how these two “sides� may come into conflict with one another.

While we want to believe that a photograph is true to life, we never really know how much manipulation has been done to it. Do I know that the words on the t-shirt above were not put there after the photo was taken? No. I also don’t know what is happening outside the scope of the lens. I also don’t know what the situation for the protest was nor do I know what the participants are shouting. The photograph is one piece of the contextual puzzle. It is useful. It is important. But it must be understood that it is as easy to manipulate visual communications as it is to manipulate statistics or sound bites. They can be used to promote any number of philosophies. Coupling images with the proper message is what will make all of the difference.

Collopy, Michael. Architects of Peace: Visions of Hope in Words and Images. Novato, CA: New World Library. 2002.

Krishna109. “Anti-War Demonstrators�. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/47023741@N00/78842460/)

mamalemma. “S i g h …â€? (http://www.flickr.com/photos/thelemmas/56331902/)
Sturken, Marita and Lisa Cartwright. Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. New York: Oxford University Press. 2003.

Zinn, Howard (ed.) The Power of Nonviolence: Writings by Advocates of Peace. Bostonz; Beacon Press. 2002