A Critical Discussion of some of the Main Shifts That Have Occurred in Relation to Visual Representation in the Wake of the Events of 9/11 and the Subsequent ‘War on Terror’


Essay, 2010

11 Pages, Grade: 61


Abstract or Introduction

The events of 9/11 shocked people all over the world and as a political consequence the ‘war on terror’ was established. A ‘public trauma’ emerged after the unexpected attacks because they made clear how near the unknown but also continuing threat of terrorism is. An extraordinary situation took place when people world wide felt shocked and directly targeted by the attacks.
The exploding demand on visual media which dealt with the issue was the expression of a new function in the wake of the events: Visual representation had to assume the responsibility of substituting for the essential act of ‘bearing witness’ to help the public with handling trauma and grief (Zelizer, 2002).
Fighting a war against an unknown enemy – ‘the terror’ or ‘the evil’ – was a historically unprecedented situation. People were frightened and many wanted to find somebody to blame for the attacks to feel safe again; the reaction of the government to attack Afghanistan found support although the justification for the attacks would be proven wrong later. But the dimension of cruelty of this war and in the American prison Abu Ghraib towards alleged terrorists caused another public shock after the limited imagery was published.
Together, these two events and their subsequent public traumas caused two very contrasting consecutive world wide moods towards the US government.
In retrospect the events are said to mark a change within visual representation, particularly the representation of trauma.
One of the main shifts in visual representation in the wake of these crises was that the focus moved towards the public. ”This was curious, for among photojournalists the idea of using images to draw from and upon the public rather than to depict the events being witnessed was antithetical to what good journalism is supposed to do” (Zelizer, 2002, p.48).

Details

Title
A Critical Discussion of some of the Main Shifts That Have Occurred in Relation to Visual Representation in the Wake of the Events of 9/11 and the Subsequent ‘War on Terror’
College
University of Westminster  (Media, Arts and Design)
Course
Photography and Visual Culture
Grade
61
Author
Year
2010
Pages
11
Catalog Number
V208528
ISBN (eBook)
9783656368168
ISBN (Book)
9783656368397
File size
1100 KB
Language
English
Keywords
Abu Ghraib, 9/11, September 11, September 2001, terrorist, New York, World Trade Centre, Twin Towers, suicide attack, falling man, war on terror, trauma, public grief, shock, afghanistan war, hooded man, alejandro innaritu, icon, media, mass media, television, news coverage, foreign politics, visual culture, eric fischl, carolee schneemann, photography, documentary photography, bearing witness
Quote paper
Sarah Doerfel (Author), 2010, A Critical Discussion of some of the Main Shifts That Have Occurred in Relation to Visual Representation in the Wake of the Events of 9/11 and the Subsequent ‘War on Terror’, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/208528

Comments

  • No comments yet.
Read the ebook
Title: A Critical Discussion of some of the Main Shifts That Have Occurred in Relation to Visual Representation in the Wake of the Events of 9/11 and the Subsequent ‘War on Terror’



Upload papers

Your term paper / thesis:

- Publication as eBook and book
- High royalties for the sales
- Completely free - with ISBN
- It only takes five minutes
- Every paper finds readers

Publish now - it's free