THE POWER OF IMAGES IN CONFLICT AND DISASTER STORIES.

Photos have the power to make people think, feel and take action. They may horrify, reassure, anger or take the breath away. While words can describe the aftermath of a disaster — a tornado, a plane crash, a school shooting — a photo visually communicates the pain etched in victims' faces, the mangled metal and strewn debris, the wounded bodies being rolled away on stretchers by paramedics. Of course, good writing can evoke strong emotions as well, but certain photos have an impact that is immediate and startling and much more long lasting than a well-written article.

The best package has to be that of a good write-up supported with a good image. If an article is very well-written but does not a have a image which describes it well it is not possible to grab the readers attention with it.

The television boom is a classic example, which depicts the power of image. In today’s world you will find that most of 99% people are glued to television sets and also the internet but hardly people who are loyal to their radio sets, especially in situations of emergency as people believe their eyes, more than their ears.

So much is the impact of the images that not onlythe readers/ viewers but it also has an impact on the photographers especially in situations of tragedy. The photographers and journalists are a part of the team of first responders whenever a tragedy occurs. They are there to document the news event in pictures. And their work can have a strong and lasting impact on the public consciousness.

Talking about the impact of images, it becomes important to understand that which are the situations when they work to the best and are really important for a news piece to sell.

Images are mainly required in case of human-interest stories. In human-interest stories the main aim is to grab the attention of the audiences and have an emotional appeal attached.

Human-interest stories are mainly stories related to natural disasters, wars etc and to cover these kind of stories it becomes very important to provide the viewers with a glimpse of the real situation which can be done only with the help of pictures and live videos.

The first impact of images was seen during the Vietnam War. Even today the media coverage of the Vietnam is marked in the global history. It was this war the changed the media reportage because the media brought live pictures of the war to the American homes which helped people get a more clearer picture and also the other aspect of a war. It gave the people a chance to think for themselves rather than believe the official version that they were being provided with. And moreover there were images supporting the viewpoint that the news channels were feeding them with.



THE VIETNAM WAR – A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF THE POWER OF IMAGES.

The horrors of war entered the living rooms of Americans for the first time during the Vietnam War. For almost a decade in between school, work, and dinners, the American public could watch villages being destroyed, Vietnamese children burning to death, and American body bags being sent home. Though initial coverage generally supported U.S involvement in the war, television news dramatically changed its frame of the war after the Tet Offensive. Images of the U.S led massacre at My Lai dominated the television, yet the daily atrocities committed by North Vietnam and the Viet Cong rarely made the evening news. Moreover, the anti-war movement at home gained increasing media attention while the U.S soldier was forgotten in Vietnam. Coverage of the war and its resulting impact on public opinion has been debated for decades by many intelligent media scholars and journalists.

By the mid-1960's, television was considered to be the most important source of news for the American public, and, possibly, the most powerful influence on public opinion itself. Throughout the Korean War, the television audience remained small. In 1950, only 9 percent of homes owned a television. By 1966, this figure rose to 93 percent (Bonior, Champlin, Kolly, 1984, p.18). As televisions became more popular in the home, more Americans began to get their news from television than from any other source. A series of surveys conducted by the Roper Organization for the Television Information Office from 1964 until 1972 demonstrates the growing power of television. With multiple answers allowed, respondents were asked from which medium they "got most of their news". In 1964, 58 percent said television; 56 percent, newspapers; 26 percent, radio; and 8 percent, magazines. By 1972, 64 percent said television while the number of respondents who primarily relied on newspapers dropped to 50 percent (Hallin, 1986, p.106). Thus, as the Vietnam War dragged on, more and more Americans turned to television as their primary source for news.





But the Vietnam War was just the beginning to a new era of technology boom. After that there were many wars, which were fought, and many disasters, which were captured in camera.

By the mid-1960's, television was considered to be the most important source of news for the American public, and, possibly, the most powerful influence on public opinion itself. Throughout the Korean War, the television audience remained small. In 1950, only 9 percent of homes owned a television. By 1966, this figure rose to 93 percent (Bonior, Champlin, Kolly, 1984, p.18). As televisions became more popular in the home, more Americans began to get their news from television than from any other source. A series of surveys conducted by the Roper Organization for the Television Information Office from 1964 until 1972 demonstrates the growing power of television. With multiple answers allowed, respondents were asked from which medium they "got most of their news". In 1964, 58 percent said television; 56 percent, newspapers; 26 percent, radio; and 8 percent, magazines. By 1972, 64 percent said television while the number of respondents who primarily relied on newspapers dropped to 50 percent (Hallin, 1986, p.106). Thus, as the Vietnam War dragged on, more and more Americans turned to television as their primary source for news.

Also in the recent years we have seen various instances where the images have had a major impact on the minds of the people and has also led to them forming their opinions and making their decisions.

A few of them being
1) The Plane Crash at World Trade Center
2) The Tsunami
3) Kargil War
4) The US-Iraq War

Even the mere mention of the above topics brings to our mind horrifying images of the past and mass destuction that it had caused. There would hardly any people who would remember these issues with a particular article or a story that was written about it.

Even today most of the people will relate to these incidents with the images that did the rounds during this era.

The Osama Bin Laden tapes that was telecast on AL-Jazeera and Iraqi channel caught attention and became news because the news channel actually showed an interview with the terrorist. Had it been just an voice over it would have not had the same impact that it otherwise managed to have.

Let us further have an in- depth look into the various images that made the world sit up and have a look at it.



WORLD TRADE CENTRE ATTACKS – INCREASING TERRORISM

The 9/11 is one of the best examples one can see of the impact that images can have. One of the main reasons that this issue attracted so much media attention from all over the world was the fact that it was one of its kinds.
We could see live footages of the terrorist attacks on our television screens. Every news channel all around the globe was focusing its complete attention on this issue. Whether it was the BBC or an Indian channel like Aaj Tak, news as big as this was something noone could overlook and most of all it had what most news channels and news agencies need today to sell their stories, images and photographs backing it up.
Even today the mere mention of September 9/11 brings to our mind the live visuals that we saw on our television sets that was the impact that the news coverage of 9/11 had on us. For many days this incident was followed up and also one of the main reasons of the Bush Government retaliating in such an aggressive manner by declaring a War Against Terrorism was the fact that the issue had become a global concern due to the media coverage that it received.
It was the first time ever that the whole world realized how big the problem of terrorism is and media had a great hand in this realization process because media by and large covered every angle and every aspect of this incident.
One of the main reasons that 9/11 received so much exposure was also the fact that the incident was caught on camera

Back then, the ratings of news channels and their popularity numbers were higher than they'd ever been in years.

THE TSUNAMI – THE WRATH OF NATURE
Tsunami was an example where nature shows its agony. The Tsunami got immense amount of coverage in the news channels, radio, internet, newspapers etc because of the immense amount of loss of human like and property that it involved. But again like mentioned below the story had a lot of weight age attached to it because of the powerful images that were showcased is various mediums.

Also in case of natural disasters like such it becomes very important to create funds for rehabilitation of the people who have lost their loved ones and with the impact that the images had created in case of tsunami it became much more easier for NGO’s and government organizations to generate funds as people were willing to pay from their pockets after seeing the visuals that were hard hitting and brought about an intention among people to do something for the victims of nature’s fury.




MUMBAI FLOODS


When talking about images it becomes very important to show rather than speak. Because like it goes “ a picture can depict a 1000 words.”

These pictures in itself describe that it is in relation with the Mumbai Floods of 26th July 2005. Without mentioning a word the audience can get the message in a much more clearer and a much more powerful manner.



THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISSUE.

Although images can make the audience realise the intensity of an issue they can also at times cause problems as today with the advent of so many technologies people tend to misuse the power of image for either their own vested interests (for ex: channels may use to increase their trp’s) or for that matter can also be used to spread hoax news and humors.

Like this picture of the Tsunami does not exactly pertain to it but they ere spread via the web and besides that were also published by a few reputed newspapers. But despite this being a major issue and a serious one it is not really so easy to keep a check on it.

Sainsbury takeover – What’s next?

With the Sainsbury takeover being the biggest news in the business world; all eyes are on the British supermarket since early February 2007. The takeover comes as a surprise as the supermarket has been making profits over the last six months, even just before the takeover was announced. Sainsbury, which enjoys the position of the second largest supermarket in UK after its biggest competitor; Tesco shocked the country after the takeover news was all over the media. The takeover brought it many prospective buyers and also gave rise to many speculations about who would be the new contender. Ever since the takeover news has been announced the share prices of the company have risen. In the week following the takeover news the share prices of Sainsbury rose by 43% in a span of one week. Marks and Spencer was one of the many prospective contenders who were being speculated in media reports as being one of the most important buyers in the supermarket deal. But in the Financial Times article the reporter tries to clear the air. He tries to state with facts and quotes that although the news was ripe that Marks and Spencer’s is going to be one of the prospective buyers the executives at M&S are not thinking about the deal as yet. In the latter half of the article the reporter provides a speculative summary about the future of the deal with M&S now being out of the race. The article is a good combination of facts, figures, quotes and speculations. Even though the story is just a follow up of a high profile takeover the story gives the reader a clearer picture of the existing situation.

Capitalism – More than just politics

Today in the hectic work culture that persists all across the world it becomes extremely essential to bear in mind the well being of the employees and the working class in general. The employees in any organization form the backbone of its success.

An article in last weeks New Statesman talks about the dire need for capitalism in today’s world. The journalist incorporates this political terminology in the essence of globalization and manages to convince the readers logically that capitalism, as a political setup is the call of the day. He makes it clear that the article does not mean to portray capitalism in a political light but is meant to give a better understanding of what the system has in store for people.

Capitalism has been a term, which has always been associated with violence, processions and retaliations of the working class towards the business class but today with the growth of the world economy and the increasingly tedious work culture that persists, it is pivotal that a political setup should be designed keeping in mind that the main population in any country consists of working class citizens which contribute in a big way in the growth of the economy.

The journalist makes use of quotes of various politicians to emphasize his point of view. Also by laying a lot of emphasis more on the work culture in an everyday routine he has been able to relate in a better manner with his readers.

He has managed to give more meaning to the term capitalism and has helped in taking the term beyond just a political gimmick and made it sound more relatable.

The Web Wars

Ever since the advent of Google most Internet companies have felt the effect of its growing success. Yahoo is one such company, which is affected by Google’s success.

Yahoo has had an advertising turnover of about 50% but Google’s entry into the market and its growing popularity has made advertisers look upto this search engine to increase the visibility of their product.

Taking all this into consideration, one cannot discount the popularity that Yahoo enjoys. Not everything is bleak for Yahoo as various organizational and structural changes have been carried out which will allow yahoo to setup a platform from which they can launch their recovery.

In an effort to recover their lost market share Yahoo is implementing a new strategy, which will help pulling in more advertisers and generate more revenue. Whether Yahoo will be successful in its new endeavor or not is yet to be seen. Because all set and done the fact that Google’s advertising strategy is flawless cannot be discounted. It may take Yahoo quite some time to implement the strategy and make up for lost ground.

The idea that comes across while reading the article is that the writer has already made up his mind that Google is the winner in the Internet wars between the two leading web engines. The argument is not very sound and convincing because a writer must present a neutral picture and not make it sound like a PR release for Google.

He has backed the argument with statistical data and figures, which makes the article look authentic and reliable. Although the article features a lot of numerical data, the issue is handled in a manner, which would attract the attention of readers.

A FLAT WORLD

An article in last weeks Economist highlights the increase in migration in Great Britain, which the journalist feels has resulted in Great Britain loosing its charm.

The article revolves around globalisation and its aftermaths. It attempts to highlight both the positive as well as the negative aspects of the issue in question.

If the issue is seen in the broader perspective we observe that globalisation is one of the issues, which is affecting most of the nations around the globe. Even though globalisation has made the world a smaller place to live in; we cannot overlook the fact that it has influenceed the lifestyle of the people in a big way.

When globalisation becomes an integral part of the nations economy a lot of cultural exchanges take place. So when talking about globalisation one must not overlook the the social effects that it has.

The journalist has encompassed an element of history which tends to function as a backgrounder to the whole story and provides a foundation to the article.

However there is an acute lack of figures and statistics. When dealing with an issue like migration and multi-cultarlism the journalist had a lot of room to add a strong point to his article by backing it with a few details; like while mentioning the reduction in crime rate and increase in employment opportunities; figures would make the article much more reliable and authentic.

Overall the article manages to grip the attention of the reader till the end. Also the issue being in the limelight since sometime now it also scores high in urgency of a news story.

Overall the writer has done justice to the whole issue.

Relationships

GOOD THINGS YOU CAN LEARN FROM BAD RELATIONS

Whatever happens, happens for the good might sound quite a clichéd idiom but it’s a fact of life for many who feel a soured relationship leaves behind a few verities of life which can help one in the long run and also a few well learnt lessons which you are not likely to forget in a hurry. Like it makes you realize how important it is to think well before you take a decision as important as marriage. Like Meena Kapoor who is a doctor by profession jokingly says, “ Just because I have had problems with my ex-husband I can’t overlook the good things I have learnt from him, I mean he taught me never to trust a man in my life again”. Like Meena there are many women out there who have experienced and have found their way. Because most of the good lessons in life come with those practical experiences.

But it is a good sign when you are able to look back at the past and laugh about it. Initially the laughter may seem a bit forced and a little rusty but once you are able to see it in perspective you know that even the worst relationship has left a positive impact on you.

When Nisha Shrama married her college sweetheart and later after five years split up with her husband she realized that she had actually mistaken a college infatuation as ab earth shattering case of true love.

At 35 today she is remarried and working as a creative head in an ad agency and feels that the decision she took back then was mature and well thought out, as she started feeling after marriage that she had changed herself and started thinking a lot like her husband. It was only after four years that the realization dawned to her that she had killed her dreams and was now living the life of a person who was completely different from her true self and it was at that point she realized that she had to move on and live life on her terms and so this time she chose someone like minded who would understand her. “Today when I am standing at the top of a heap with a new life, a successful career, I can look at the past with almost a certain kind of fondness. If it wasn’t for that bad relationship, I wouldn’t have been able to appreciate the fabulous relationship I have today,” says Nisha Sharma.

When Kangana Chopra got married at the age of 21 little did she know what she wanted from life. At that point of time marriage was all about what she saw in movies and she expected it to be all play and no work. She jumped at the first marriage proposal that came her way. “The first few months of marriage were blissful and things went the way I wanted them to go but it was only after a year that I realized that the realities of life were much different, as I was married in a joint family, I had a lot of compromises to make and it was then that I felt that a joint family is not like what you see in movies and personally it was not my cup of tea. So I felt that there was no point in carrying on a relation, which was not giving me satisfaction, and so I decided to forgo it and move on. Now I have decided that when I get into a relation it has to be a nuclear family,” states Kangana.

Whether it is learning what you want from life or thinking about a prospective marriage before taking the final plunge, a bitter relationship can also leave you with learning many brutalities in life. A bad marriage can teach a few lessons in life which become a part of an individual’s nature.

So what are the good things you can learn from a bad relationship?

1) Like all other phases in life, this too will pass. In other words all bad things can come to an end.

2) Don’t dream of a grand future. If it happens, great. But in pursuit of a golden dream, don’t mess up your present. It’s a good present that matters.

3) Change is the only constant thing in life. And thank god for that. Imagine being stuck in the situation with no hope of reprieve.

4) You become a much stronger person mentally. After taking on a creep you are ready to take on the world!

Indian Women

THE SHE ECONOMY

A change in outlook towards the 21^st century women

§ By Nidhi Anand

Today’s women are not just a showpiece lying in the house. Today a woman moves hand in hand with the men and in some cases has also left men behind. Till some years back a woman was supposed to handle daily chores and found place only in the kitchen of the house. But today the scenario has changed; today a woman is not just subject to the four walls of a house, she is out into the world and ready to give the men a run for their money.

Whether in the field of business, media or even sports woman is leaving a mark in every field. Sania Mirza has risen as one of India’s biggest sport star. The 19-year-old recorded many firsts by an Indian in women's tennis while proving herself to be a genuine world beater. A leap of 175 places to reach a career high 31 in world rankings, a seniors' title, victory over two top-10 players and reaching the fourth round of a Grand Slam - a spectacular start to what should be a long and colourful career. It was the first time an Indian woman had gone thus far at a Grand Slam and she bettered that mark at the US Open, going one step further later in the year. She made the whole nation proud with her achievements but with fame came public scrutiny. An Islamic cleric issued a fatwa banning her from wearing short skirts on courts. Her comments on safe sex resulted in public activist groups burning her effigies and demonstrating in front of her house in Hyderabad. That is the plight of any Indian women who has tried to establish her identity in a men’s world. Besides her we also have women like Barkha Dutt who managed to do a courageous reportage of the Kargil war and also women like Ekta Kapoor who has the whole nation drooling over her daily dose soaps. How much ever people may criticize her work but she has emerged as a true winner. One key factor that differentiates these successful women from the rest of the lot is the fact that they had the determination to dream and also the confidence to make them come true. Contrary to popular norms are these savvy czarinas who have taken over the reins form their fathers. Destroying long standing traditions, breaking into another male-dominated bastion, they are packing in a quite a punch! Groomed to lead corporate houses into the twentieth century, daddy’s little girls are proving as savvy, diplomatic and as worthy of their financial salt as their male counterparts. Taking over from the likes of Brinda Khatau and Zeenia Lawyer, these daughters of business magnates are out to prove their mettle. Articles, reportages, literary works and masterpieces of art have been dedicated to the mission of asserting the woman’s position in a man’s world. A lot has been said and done to equate their stature and role, but this is not about that, as we are already in an era where this fact is an established statement. This is an endeavour to probe into the rationale behind the various facets of the contemporary woman, who on one side, is a jet setting, successful business entity, and a devoted mother and loving wife, on the other.

Till ten years ago women executives were few and far between but today women constitute a major percentage in the entity of any corporate organization. Today a woman has managed to prove to the world that she is much more than an ever caring and sacrificing mother. She has managed to convince the world about her capabilities and talent. The complain that most of the corporate women today have is although they are complete workaholics and are earning bucks it really doesn’t matter to them anymore cause they do not have the time to spend it. Besides that money has never defined their goals or identity. In fact they consider themselves as just a bunch of people who find their meaning in work. Recently Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairman and managing director, Biocon, Chanda Kochar, executive director of ICICI Bank and Vidya Chhabria, Chairman of Jumbo Group recently secured a place in the Fortune magazine's list of the world's most powerful women in business. If this piece of news made every indian woman happy, another survey conducted by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) painted a very different picture of Indian women in the corporate world. Even today women constitute only six per cent of the total workforce, says the survey conducted by CII, which was released by Anu Aga, Director of Thermax Ltd. The survey, which covers 149 companies, focused on medium and large companies. While the number of women at the junior level is a healthy 16 per cent, this tapered down to a mere four per cent at the middle and senior levels. This ratio declines in the senior management positions, coming down to almost universal levels of male leadership in the topmost positions. Basically the three factors that are the cause of a low percentage of women in the corporate world are gender bias in recruitment, gender inequality and sexual harassment at the workplace. Though it's not explicitly exhibited, there is some kind of gender bias in many organisations. These mainly related to those regarding promotions, allotment of assignments - where men are preferred. For instance, women are not preferred in some functions, such as manufacturing/ production etc. And the main reasons behind this being security concerns for women and perceptions that women would 'not be competent enough' for these positions.

If the Indian corporate world does not get rid of these primitive notions, how can you expect Indian women to climb the corporate ladder? It's really ridiculous. If Barkha Dutt can report from war zone, why others cannot do the same in some other fields. A few of the factors that are related to women and the ones which are not taken into consideration are that of motherhood. Say for instance Sulajja Firodia Motwani, the mind behind Kinetic group of companies has been working non-stop for 13 years with just a four day break when her son was born. A majority of the organisations do not have any provisions for day-care facilities or the option of flexibility of timings for young/ expectant mothers and most women feel that their companies do not give adequate benefits which motivate women to join back after childbirth. Another problem that has always kept women aback while climbing the corporate ladder is that of sexual and physical harassment at workplace. Only about half the companies claim to have formal policies in place to deal with sexual harassment within the organisation. But for the majority there are no policies in place to protect women from harassment from a client or a vendor. In India it is mainly the mindset of the people that needs repairing only then will we be able to see a steady growth in the number of women opting for a corporate lifestyle. Whenever it comes to choosing a job, most women in India prefer an office which is close to residence. Besides, post marriage, women either leave the job or join another office, which is near to husband's working place. Basically, it's the woman who has to sacrifice.

But what has to be considered is that women at work should be more assertive about their abilities and rights and also should put in front of the management their limitations and restrictions also besides that the companies should have a relook at their HR policies especially keeping the women in their organization into consideration. Looking at the above picture one realizes the amount of progress that India is making over the year but giving it another glance one realizes that things are even today not as glossy as one gets to see. The horrifying incidents against women have not changed over the years. In fact study reveals that domestic violence in on the rise in the country.

It’s easy to dismiss it as just another fad. After all, in a country where twice as many girls as boys die before the age of five, where only 40% of women are literate as compared to 64% of men and harassment, if not death, for dowry is the fate of a large number of women. So now it is for us to realize that we do not have to look at just a small percentage of women who are running the economy but also had the major section of the Indian women population who is suffering even today. So that we can call our economy a SHE Economy in the true sense of the term.