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From simulation to iconification: portrayals of the self and the other in news media photographs from the 2003 War in Iraq.

The evidential quality of photographs has grown out of their early uses in tourism, colonialism, social control and media, and their often unconscious perception makes them not only susceptible to manipulation but also gives them the power to impart messages beyond those consciously considered by the viewer. This thesis explores seemingly innocuous photographs of the 2003 war in Iraq from the BBC and The New York Times online as published evidence that moves beyond simple coverage of the war by using subtle visual cues that speak to historically rooted power relationships between the Western ‘self’ and the Muslim ‘other’. Further, using Baudrillard’s understanding of simulation and dissimulation as a guide, this thesis introduces the notion of iconification and reveals how these images portrayed consistent themes thereby rendering the photographs icons for abstract concepts such as terrorism, oppression, and liberation. / Graduate

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:uvic.ca/oai:dspace.library.uvic.ca:1828/3458
Date16 August 2011
CreatorsMacLellan-Mansell, Alanna
ContributorsGarlick, Stephen Robert
Source SetsUniversity of Victoria
LanguageEnglish, English
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
RightsAvailable to the World Wide Web

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