september 5 + 13 image + ideology: journalism

ideology: a definition
Main Entry: ide·ol·o·gy
Pronunciation: "I-dE-'ä-l&-jE, "i-
Variant(s): also ide·al·o·gy /-'ä-l&-jE, -'a-/
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -gies
Etymology: French idéologie, from idéo- ideo- + -logie -logy
1 : visionary theorizing
2 a : a systematic body of concepts especially about human life or culture b : a manner or the content of thinking characteristic of an individual, group, or culture c : the integrated assertions, theories and aims that constitute a sociopolitical program
- ide·ol·o·gist /-jist/ noun


photojounalism: a definition
Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism (the collecting, editing, and presenting of news material for publication or broadcast) that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, and in some cases to video used in broadcast journalism. Photojournalism is distinguished from other close branches of photography (such as documentary photography, street photography or celebrity photography) by the qualities of:

* Timeliness — the images have meaning in the context of a published chronological record of events.

* Objectivity — the situation implied by the images is a fair and accurate representation of the events they depict.

* Narrative — the images combine with other news elements, to inform and give insight to the viewer or reader.

Photojournalists must make decisions instantly and carry photographic equipment, often while exposed to the same risks (war, rioting, etc.) that are faced by text-only journalists. The fact that they rarely have the option to stand back or wait until the dangerous parts of an event are over means they may take even more risks.

Photojournalism as a descriptive term often implies the use of a certain bluntness of style or approach to image-making. The photojournalist approach to candid photography is becoming popular as a unique style of commercial photography. For example, many weddings today are shot in photojournalism style resulting in candid images that chronicle the events of the wedding day.

A similar and related term is reportage.

short history of photojournalism

semiotics: a definition

It is... possible to conceive of a science which studies the role of signs as part of social life. It would form part of social psychology, and hence of general psychology. We shall call it semiology (from the Greek semeîon, 'sign'). It would investigate the nature of signs and the laws governing them. Since it does not yet exist, one cannot say for certain that it will exist. But it has a right to exist, a place ready for it in advance. Linguistics is only one branch of this general science. The laws which semiology will discover will be laws applicable in linguistics, and linguistics will thus be assigned to a clearly defined place in the field of human knowledge. (Saussure 1983, 15-16; Saussure 1974, 16)

Semiotics

∑ semiotics: (GK sema or sign) the study of signs or sign systems, can be applied to verbal or non-verbal systems (fashion, for example, can be seen as language or system of communication)

∑ One of the key methods of analyzing images is semiotics, otherwise called semiology. Semiotics approaches language systems (including verbal language) as systems that are culturally constructed (i.e. not natural). It argues that language works through the production, circulation and exchange of signs.


∑ A sign has three primary characteristics:

∑ 1) A sign has a physical form or sound when spoken (the written or spoken word; the thing itself, e.g. a rose, a haircut…) This is the signifier.

∑ 2) A sign refers to something other than itself, a concept. This is called the signified. The two are hard to separate, but semiotics emphasizes a third term to do this: the referent. This is the thing that the sign (or both the signifier and signified) point to in the real world.

∑ 3) Semiotic analysis argues that our perception of the world is constructed or shaped. Language divides words into categories and in doing so determines our sense of things and their value to us. These categories work by means of differences. A cat is a cat because it is not a dog. This third feature reflects the influence of structuralist thought on semiotic analysis.


∑ Structuralism is a set of ideas that emphasizes two things:

∑ 1) All human organization is determined by large social and psychological structures: e.g. Freud’s theory of the organization of the unconscious is one such structure. He argued that the human unconscious is organized into the id and pre-conscious, and this organization informs our patterns of behaviour and speech—promoting and/or repressing certain thoughts or behavior. Similarly, Marx’s theory of the economy can be seen to be influenced by structuralist thought. He argued that people's relationship to the means of production determined their political sympathies.

∑ 2) Reality is only understood within systematic structures. These structures are characterized by:

∑ rules of exclusion
∑ signifying oppositions
∑ rules of association

∑ Central Concepts:

∑ Arbitrariness of Signs: Signs are not integral to things themselves but arbitrarily defined.

∑ Arbitrary and Shared Codes: Arbitrary signs must, nonetheless, be socially agreed upon. This presumes that signs are neither fixed or single but polysemic (GK full/many; signs): capable of several meanings. For example: the Union Jack is symbol of the British empire, and the monarchy but it will be interpreted differently by the cultural group appropriating it--pro and anti-monarchists. The way in which the exact meaning is achieved is determined by context. It can sometimes be grounded or anchored by text as in the form of a caption.

∑ Sign Functions—Denotation and Connotation:
∑ denote: to serve as an indication of (an arbitrary mark for);

∑ connote: to convey in addition to exact, explicit meaning; to convey meaning through culturally agreed upon associations.

∑ e.g. the word Red denotes a colour in the spectrum; it also connotes fierceness and passion

∑ Sign Types—Iconic, Indexical and Symbolic Signs:

∑ Iconic: Iconic signs always resemble what they signify. A photo is thought of as iconic because it depicts what it refers to. One can also think of religious icons as iconic(statues of the Madonna).

∑ Indexical: Indexical signs have signifiers that act as evidence that an event or occurance has taken place: smoke for fire; sweat for effort.

∑ Symbolic: Symbolic signs are arbitrarily linked to their references. They inspire culturally agreed upon (and historically changing) associations


Semiotic Analysis: Exercise
In groups of four, analyze an image according to the process outlined below:

1 DESCRIBE the photographs. List their physical and narrative features: What exactly do you see? What action is taking place? Consider the style of the photo as well as the content.

2 ANALYZE the attributes that lead to the interpretation of the photo—its social message and emotional value. Identify as many characteristics as you can by considering all the evidence you’ve gathered.

3 EXAMINE the patterns among the characteristics you have chosen and interpret what this means in ideological terms. What is the message of the photograph.



semiotics for beginners

“myth today,” from mythologies by roland barthes