Thesis: Although politicians argue about the authenticity and influence of war images on public, it is expected that war photography impacts positively on the society’s awareness of global conflicts and help to initiate and develop positive reactions towards ending wars in Middle East.
I. With all the ongoing wars and conflicts in the Middle East, there is a necessity to inform the public about these tragedies and their aftermath.
A. Every day, abundant number of innocent human beings looses their lives and properties as a result of ongoing wars in Middle East.
B. Immediate international attention and action is required to resolve the conflicts in Middle East and to prevent more human and financial loss.
II. Photos are one of the most powerful and impressive mediums to inform the public about the global conflicts and their consequences.
A. Photos are capable of transmitting their message to a wide audience in a glance and do not require special knowledge to crack them like texts.
B. Research shows that still images are even more powerful than moving images in communicating with their audience and storing in their memories.
III. The social awareness, created by war photographs, can help to initiate and develop anti-war campaigns and protests.
A. Iconic photos from Vietnam wars had an important role in public social awareness and initiating anti-war campaigns and protests in the U.S. The same can be applied to the wars in Middle East.
B. With the rise of social networks and the Web, the role of war images in initiating and developing anti-war actions is becoming even more crucial since now they have an international platform.
IV. In order for a war photo to be positively influential, its authenticity and visual attributes should be carefully considered.
A. The role of photographer is crucial in authenticity and influence of war images.
B. Technological improvements in photography have cut the authenticity of images both ways.
1. Photography has never been this easy and accessible. Every one can be a potential war photojournalist with a small photography device and we can see a conflict from different viewpoints by looking at these images.
2. In contrast, with the use of new photo-editing applications, photos are able to manipulate the truth.