Sarah Head

ENG 103 Final Draft

Research Project

30 April 2019

Modern Photojournalism: A Catalyst for Change

“Three-year-old Aylan Kurdi [lies] face down on a sandy beach in Turkey” (Cole). His

family attempted to escape the life of Syrian refugees in the hopes of new beginnings and a

better life for young Aylan. This escape cost him his life, his future; his innocence was taken.

This heartbreaking photo opened the eyes of all who saw it and created change for the better.

Photojournalism allows individuals to create their own interpretation of a singular photo through

the way in which a photographer captures a pivotal moment. This moment has the ability to

change someone’s perception of an event, simply through a camera lens. Photographs differ from

articles or news stories because although the photographer chooses the scene, the absence of

word or opinion allows the viewer to analyze an unbiased source and determine their respective

stance on the matter at hand. This was the case for the photo of Aylan. Journalists continuously

utilize this informative outlet due to its great effect on the emotions of individuals, through a way

in which lengthy articles and boring statistics cannot. Photojournalism in the 21 century has
st

become a critical asset to the political field and has proven the capability to change the mindsets

of an array of people through one singular photograph. Due to this ability, journalists

strategically capture images of conflicting topics in modern times in order to inform the public.

This creates a clear and concise source of information for individuals to gather their news.

Controversial images greatly impact people’s opinion today more than news articles due to their

simplistic, yet powerful story through journalists informative and unbiased camera lens in order
to draw attention to imperative issues because of influential imagery. Aylan Kurdis death

changed the way in which individuals viewed the overwhelming crisis in Syria through an

emotional grasp.

I argue that this emotional concept of photography creates an inability of viewers to look

away, therefore administering an impact. For example, in 2015 photographs released of a young

Syrian boy that was killed due to the conflict in Syria. He was killed too young. Should the issue

of politics and warfare have cost him his life? No. This image

connected with many individuals through the relatability of not

only children in general, but brothers, nephews and friends that

due to geography were safe at home and not lying on a beach

dead. Aylan’s body lies face down. This creates an impact

because “you can project onto him the face of someone you

know” (Cole). No matter political affiliation or ideological beliefs, this photograph unified an

array of people through one singular snapshot. In this instance “an iconic photo of a single child

was worth more than hundreds of thousands of statistical lives” (Slovic, Vastfjaill, et. al).

Although the war in Syria was happening long before this photo was taken, the image of

Aylan created a more personal approach to how and why individuals should involve themselves

in the Syrian refugee crisis. It is easy to read an article and think that it does not affect me.

However, it greatly affected the mother and father of young Aylan and it could affect many more

families. Images tap into the personal morals and values of individuals and these images have the

ability to create a movement and inspire hope that can in turn change the lives on not only the

Syrian refugees, but also the viewers themselves through personal growth. This personal growth

provokes change and an overall lesson for humanity. Ultimately, what is at stake here is the
decency of mankind through the reaction expressed when faced with a problem or issue. In this

instance change evolved through the economic aid. “The number of average daily amount of

donations to the Swedish Red Cross campaign for Syrian refugees… was 55 times greater in the

week after the photo than the week before” (Cole).

An important aspect to photojournalism concerns the content within an image that

affects individuals differently. McKinley and Fahmy examine the way “Degrees of

graphicness… leads to differences… in beliefs and

attitudes” (71). Therefore, for some, the more vivid

an image the more intriguing it is for

onlookers. However, a photograph of a child sitting

on a military tank playing with soldiers also creates

a horrific scene due to the normalization the

photograph embodies concerning the child’s everyday life (Simmons, 479).

Whether images present a simplistic act or a horrific scene, the meaning behind the photograph

embodies a story that can alter perception.

Although these two images contrast concerning content, they both generate an emotional

response from viewers that force individuals to challenge their beliefs. More specifically, this

was the case with Aylan Kurdi. Although the image was more graphic than normal, it affected

individuals the same way. It challenged people to analyze the situation at hand in Syria. Many

think that war only affects soldiers, however as seen through these photographs, war changes the

lives of everyone involved. After seeing Aylan and the girl many question, is it all worth it?

Photojournalism captures beyond the statistics and the end result of a horrific event such as war.

Photojournalism exposes to ordinary people real world events and the images of those most
affected. The way in which individuals respond to tragedy truly defines the character of the

viewers. Meaning, you decide it was worth it. You can decide if Aylan’s death means something.

In this case it did. Although “after six weeks, the amount [of donations] had leveled further” the

money in general created great impact (Cole).

An interesting aspect of photojournalism is the way in which one person or event can

represent a much larger issue. Rather than an article which attempts to explore the whole of a

situation, photojournalism examines a singular moment. A photograph has power by showing

viewers exactly what is happening at that very moment. It creates intensity. Aylan is not the only

young boy who died because of the Syrian Refugee Crisis. But, his death symbolizes all those

that died before him and the individuals who will suffer in the future. One photograph and one

person was enough for individuals to analyze an entire crisis. The simplicity of photojournalism

is antiparallel to its overall importance. The picture of Aylan “woke the world “ from its sleep

concerning the situation in Syria (Slovic, Vastfjaill, et. al). Aylan raised the question that if this

could happen to a young, innocent boy, then what else could be happening in this tragic crisis.

Photojournalism has the ability to force individuals to draw personal conclusions on

events without the aid of text. Although there are many scenes a photojournalist can capture,

they all portray a story that moves the minds of individuals, whether that is through personal

opinions or the motivation for activism. Controversial images impact the attitudes of individuals

by the way in which photographs question original beliefs and have the ability to create a better

understanding of current events. Statistics and informative articles can confuse individuals while

photos embody the simplistic act of a singular event that can inform just as well. Although

individuals may differ on the interpretation of photojournalism, that particular interpretation is

something original their viewers must conclude. Photographs have the ability to not only outline
the most well-known or seemingly important events, but also capture images that highlight

unknown stories or facts that if not captured on camera, would never be recognized and therefore

inform the world on that information. Have you seen a picture on the news lately? Did that

photograph change the way you viewed a topic? Images force individuals to decide the actions

they believe should take place in response to events and the measure to which they will go to

implement change. Although photojournalism lacks personal interpretation from journalists

through a narrative, their picture is worth a thousand words.