Photojournalism and Foreign Policy

"David Perlmutter has written a fine book about the impact of powerful photographs, and he comes away with some not-so-obvious conclusions....Perlmutter's writing: It is clear, simple and direct, a model for scholarly work. His solid writing and his clear sense of subordination demonstrate that academic work need not be stuffy or pretentious."-ICB "If a writer's greatest goal is to elicit thought, David Perlmutter has captured Everest. Before reading this book, I smugly thought that to see was to understand. Though it has always astonished me that an organized series of thoughts or lines interpreted through the mind's eye could evoke such passion, now I know that icons are not quite as obvious and definitely not as simple as I assumed. Professor Perlmutter has forced me to reexamine not only what I do for a living but also the narrow reference framework of my own vision."-Raymond D. Strother President American Association of Political Consultants "Photojournalism and Foreign Policy is as emotionally gripping as it is intellectually enlightening. David Perlmutter's exploration of the social discourse about journalistic photographs sheds a new light on the institutional considerations which surround the news that people talk about most. It powerfully underscores the importance of taking pictures as well as words seriously when we try to understand the forces shaping the news."-Joseph Turow Professor Annenberg School for Communication University of Pennsylvania "To bring in pictures into foreign policy consideration in international crises is to add a powerful dimension to the often neglected interplay between news and decision making at the national level. Perlmutter's work is original, penetrating, and to some extent provocative."-Tsan-Kuo Chang Associate Professor School of Journalism and Mass Communication University of Minnesota--Twin Cities "We all remember those special images that change our perceptions of the world--a small child watched by a vulture--and how those pictures affect our public decisions. But do they really change anything? Professor Perlmutter has written a fascinating book that dares to challenge what we think we know about the power of pictures. It's must reading for any serious student of public policy."-Mickey Edwards Lecturer in Public Policy Harvard University ?David Perlmutter has written a fine book about the impact of powerful photographs, and he comes away with some not-so-obvious conclusions....Perlmutter's writing: It is clear, simple and direct, a model for scholarly work. His solid writing and his clear sense of subordination demonstrate that academic work need not be stuffy or pretentious.?-ICB ?The case study approach Perlmutter uses can have a profound effect on those who ready his research....Be prepared to be challenged.?-Visual Communication Quarterly ?This is an important, fascinating book and one anyone concerned about media influences absolutely must read!?-Phi Beta Kappan ?This is an important, fascinating book, and one that anybody concerned about media influences absolutely must read.?-The Key Reporter ?You may get mad at his central thesis, but you should read this book and applaud the author because it will cause more people to seriously think about the power of photographs and video....By challenging commonly held assumptions, he has done photojournalsim a service and created many research opportunities for communications scholars.?-News Photographer "The case study approach Perlmutter uses can have a profound effect on those who ready his research....Be prepared to be challenged."-Visual Communication Quarterly "This is an important, fascinating book and one anyone concerned about media influences absolutely must read!"-Phi Beta Kappan "This is an important, fascinating book, and one that anybody concerned about media influences absolutely must read."-The Key Reporter "You may get mad at his c

DAVID D. PERLMUTTER is Associate Professor at Louisiana State University's Manship School of Mass Communication and Senior Associate for Research and Grants at the Kevin P. Reilly, Sr. Center for Media and Public Affairs. He serves on the board of directors of the American Association of Political Consultants. He has previously written for the Journal of Communication, Visual Comunication Quarterly, Visual Anthropology, and other academic and popular publications.

Preface In Search of Icons of Outrage The "Magic Bullet" of General Loan: Tet, 1968 The Consensus of Outrage: Tiananmen, 1989 When Icons Collide: Somalia, 1992-1993 Managing Icons of Outrage Appendix A: Comments on the Saigon Execution Incident and Image Appendix B: Descriptions of the Man Killed in the "Saigon Execution" Appendix C: Comments on Somalia Icons Selected Bibliography Index