Al Jazeera vs. CNN
Al Jazeera April 30, 2008
Iraq threatens assualt on militias
Al Jazeera- This is a photo of a Sadr City neighborhood where 13 people died in clashes, bringing the total amount of clash casualties to over 900. This photo is a medium shot, close enough to get facial expressions and far enough away to get a sense of reality. The key light source is the sun hidden by overcast clouds. The gray-blue tint in the photo is an apparent sign of an overcast sky, also, the fast fall off is very minimal. The photo is very busy, so there could be several signifies shown. One that stood out was the wood caskets, signifying death and tragedy. There is a vector in this shot as well. The man in the back right is holding his hands out, immediately catching my eye. His hands could represent pleading, begging, or praise.
CNN April 30, 2008
Sadr City battle killed hundreds in April
CNN- This is a picture of the same story, but a different capture. I wouldn’t necessarily say the CNN photo is a different take on the militia clashes, but it does send a different message to the audience. This is a medium-shot of civilians lifting a dead body, or wood box on top of something. The key light in the image is the sun, but once again, the gray-blue tint in the photo is an apparent sign of an overcast sky, also, the fast fall off is very minimal. The signifier is the two men hugging in mourn, and the signified, in my opinion, is hope.
As much as I would love to say that Al Jazeera is a corrupted government sanctioned program which main intention is to instill fear into the Iraqi people, I can’t. Al Jazeera is a publicly funded media outlet, with it’s primary funding as advertising. It is the main news source in the middle east, and therefor, I believe that Al Jazeera represents the perception of middle eastern communities, just as CNN represents the United States. Namely, we agree with CNN, we like the way CNN tells the stories of the world, and the perspective that each story has. It is not about lying, it’s about telling the story as the glass half full instead of the glass half empty.
The Al Jazeera photo points out despair among citizens, and the morning of those who died in the latest clashes in Sadr City, Baghdad. The picture is unclear as to what is going on, but I assume that the wood boxes contain dead civilians. Every face is this picture is in mourn, and panic. The emotion caught in the faces of these Iraqis is very heart breaking. The candid shot offers a sense of despair at that time. This photo gives an idea that the city is hopeless, with no faith in site. It is a very pessimistic depiction of the incident. In the Al Jazeera photo, there are two men kneeling, or more theoretically, the two men are falling down to another power or higher being. This could be a representation of a loss for hope, or a surrendering to the evil that has taken the mens’ faith.
Here is the main difference in these two photos. As I stated prior, CNN has a more optimistic approach to reporting than Al Jazeera. That doesn’t mean that one story misleads the truth, it’s just a different approach a telling a story to the audience. The men kneeling in the Al Jazeera photo is a sign of loss for hope, and the men hugging in the CNN photo shows a sense of community, A hug traditionally means acceptance. Although the photos are of the same exact situation, and the same suffering civilians, the two are giving off a completely different perception. Another sign of community in the CNN photo, are the men in the back who are working together to put the casket on top of the white object, whatever it is. The sense of community represents hope, faith, and most importantly, a sign that everything is going to be okay.
I do not believe that one photo is better than the other, because American society and culture is completely different than that of the middle east. America is traditionally a very optimistic country, and the middle eastern provinces may not be. The pessimism is what they are used to, and what they like to here. It is all about preference.
I enjoy how you talk about seeing the glass half full rather than half empty. I think that most news organizations try to be fair. But public relations people always try to give the news outlets the best side of their view. Therefore although news stations try to give a fair, balanced story, it is almost always given in a thought out manner. News organizations want to make the glass look half full. Although stories may be about something horrible, they are still very well thought out in how they present them.
Posted 3 years, 9 months ago