The status and role of news photo coverage in news reporting

The status and function of photojournalism

(I) The interrelationship between status and function

Status and function are two closely related concepts: the play of function determines the establishment of status; and the establishment of a certain status provides a guarantee for the realization of function. The improvement of the status of photojournalism and the cognition and expansion of its function is such an interactive development process. At the same time, the status and function of photojournalism are also closely related to the development of journalism as a whole. The status of photojournalism is mainly compared with the written form of the layout status; photojournalism function, mainly as a news **** through the function, and then the photography of their own characteristics.

The primary task of the news is to publicize the party's policies, [1] this is a long time on the function of the news of the norms, of course, also applies to the "six branches of the military" one of the news photography. But, after all, news is different from propaganda, completely with the idea of propaganda to regulate the development of the news business, will have a negative impact on the development of the news business, which is also China's reform and opening up before the news business and news theory research "deformed", backward reasons. Discover the function of photojournalism must also follow the law of the news itself.

(B) photojournalism and the improvement of the status of the first time

In the early 1980s, in the context of the whole press, reform and innovation, the photography industry began to try to explore their own development path. This exploration began with improving the newsworthiness of photojournalism itself.

In 1983, Li Li had a statistic when analyzing the newsworthiness of newspaper news photos at that time: only 11% of the photos in the sample of People's Daily were event news photos. [2] News photos do not report the news and do not fulfill their duties, can you blame others for not valuing your position? The article also analyzes that the reason for this embarrassment is the lack of news consciousness and the indistinguishability between news and propaganda among journalists. In other words, they do not realize the functions and advantages of photojournalism. It is only right to start from the improvement of journalism to play the function of photojournalism and improve its status.

After that, a large number of papers in the annual conference on photojournalism theory dealt with the characteristics, values, advantages and functions of photojournalism, while the field of journalism practice has also seen a great deal of breakthroughs in progress.

In June 1981, China Daily was founded, and the news photos published by the newspaper were unique, with not only large pictures, but also highlighting the word "people". From the point of view of the subject matter, published "children eating watermelon" (Wang Wenlan photographed) and other photos rich in life, both natural and vivid, but also close to the people's lives; from the form of the picture performance, but also does not interfere with the object of the scene as a special feature of the capture, so that people see the true meaning of the value of the news pictures and charm. [3] Since then, the field of photojournalistic expression has been expanded, the timeliness has been enhanced, it is closer to the people's life, and the form is more novel and lively. Photographs could be enlarged and arranged prominently on the front page, and the overall number was increased. Since then, People's Daily, Economic Daily, China Youth Daily and others have increased attention to the quantity and quality of news photos, and opened a photo report column.

The advantage of news photos lies in its image to visually and psychologically attract readers' attention, and its intuition to improve the efficiency of news information dissemination. Some people cite examples of foreign newspaper pages, pointing out that the news photo is a foreign newspaper "heavenly child", the headline must have a photo, this is the demand of the times the needs of the readers [4]. Photojournalism news function of the advantage of digging out, inevitably in the layout of the importance of its status may also be enhanced accordingly.

(C) the graphic and the realization of the course

The mid-eighties, the news photography reform calls are very high, "graphic and the importance of" was also mentioned at this time. But a few years down the line, although the newspaper page more pictures, bigger, but "for a long time, news photos are not mainly as a report of the news and exists, but as a beautification of the page of the filler and exists" [5] the situation has not fundamentally changed. "Figure", and did not weigh up. Therefore, how to truly realize the "graphics and text", improve and establish the status of photojournalism, still need to be further explored.

Two articles in the 1988 proceedings are quite meaningful: one is as "editor-in-chief" Fan Jingyi to "provide a stage for photojournalists to display their talents",[6] and the other is as "photojournalist" Jin Yong. Photojournalist" Jin Yong called on the editor-in-chief to change the "mindset" and support the reform of photojournalism. [7] This shows that with the deepening of the reform, the impact of institutional issues on the function and status of photojournalism came to the fore.

In 1990, the first national newspaper editor-in-chief photojournalism seminar was held, formally put forward the "graphic and text and both wings fly" of the newspaper editorial policy, especially to the editor-in-chief to publicize the idea of attaching importance to photojournalism.

The implementation of the "graphics and text" business guidelines from two aspects, one is to update the editorial concept, calling for newspapers to give photography to give more space to improve its page status; and the second is to improve the quality of photojournalism itself, to give play to its function and advantages in reporting the news. The editor-in-chief is the key to the parallelism of graphics and text, "Only when the editor-in-chief, who holds the power of life and death of the newspaper's layout, gives the green light on the layout, the policy of parallelism of graphics and text can be implemented." [8] "A large number of pages" is necessary, without a certain amount, "heavy" can not be shown, but "heavy picture, mainly refers to the news pictures have weight, can disseminate important information, reflecting the major themes ". [9] Picture and text are collaboration and competition, "photojournalists and text reporters compete with each other for equal rights to interview and send articles," [10] should be based on the news events presented by the potential to choose specific ways of reporting. It is believed that as long as the photojournalism is given the opportunity, it will certainly be able to fight for the corresponding position by virtue of its own advantages.

(D) the market economy brings opportunities for photojournalism

The trend of social development and changes in the newspaper industry also make photojournalism face new opportunities and challenges. After Comrade Deng Xiaoping's Southern Tour speech and the 14th National Congress, "market economy" has become the subject of social concern. Our journalism is to reflect the style of the times, as an important wing of the photojournalism, it should be. "The most fundamental task of photojournalism is to record history, reflect the pace of the times, and promote the forward development of society." [11] Then the problem in front of photojournalism is how to reflect the Chinese society under the conditions of market economy.

Under the conditions of market economy, the society is characterized by demand and supply are increasingly rich and efficient, people's demand for news and information is also more direct and rapid, which is just to give photojournalism to show the opportunity. "News photography can reflect the image of typical people more intuitively, record the original state of typical people's work and life, and is conducive to enhancing the authenticity and credibility of the report."[12] At the same time, news photography has been a key element in the development of the news industry. [12] At the same time, the newspaper to attract readers to occupy the market, we need to pay attention to the needs of readers, to explore their own selling points, and the photo is the best newspaper "selling point". [13]

Photojournalism has become a powerful tool for the competition of market-oriented newspapers, deep into the various areas of news coverage, reading the newspaper into the "read picture", so some people exclaimed that we have entered the "read picture era". Photojournalism has been so much attention, the status has been further improved, some people began to emphasize the independent status of photojournalism, [14] and even called for photojournalism to play a leading role in the newspaper, [15] to picture-centered coverage of news editorial page.

The real news photography "independent" up, is the emergence of a large number of feature photography and the 1995 "China Youth Daily" photography special edition of the opening. But even so, photojournalism can not get rid of the text and report news alone, "independent" and "protagonist" can only be seen as a strong desire to get rid of the photojournalism "emphasis on text rather than pictures" conceptual constraints. The concept of "independent" and "protagonist" can only be seen as a strong desire of photojournalism to get rid of the shackles of the concept of "text over pictures". If the initial "graphics and text" is only as a banner for photojournalism to fight for its own status and development, then the urgent issue now should be to explore how to make a better combination of graphics and text to improve the overall quality of journalism, to meet the challenges of the times. From the "graphic and text" to "suitable for the map is the map, suitable for the text is the text" [16] and "graphic and text connected", [17] is also the status of photojournalism itself and the function of the gradual clarification of the process.

The relative strengths and weaknesses of photojournalism have been recognized as early as the early eighties, and in the late nineties, the wave of yellow newspapers in the West one hundred and fifty years ago resurfaced in our country's journalism world, and the large number of low-quality pictures brought about by the visual pollution once again aroused people's introspection.

How should we re-picture? "Graphics and text" is aimed at "heavy text and light picture" put forward, and "heavy text and light picture" of the key in the "light picture "- despise the use of pictures to express the news," heavy picture that emphasizes the image of the news, "rather than just more pictures to decorate the page. [18] market pressure news photography in the theoretical study also turned more pragmatic, to the attractiveness of the page, the newspaper's business as a starting point for the reform of photojournalism, but this does not contradict with the emphasis on photojournalism of the news, can withstand the market test of the success of the newspaper relies on or excellent news pictures. Photography in the news coverage of the unique role and function, decided to really pay attention to the news of the newspaper will not trivialize the picture of the layout of the status.

(E) image communication era of photojournalism

If the photojournalism to the image of the era of image communication environment to examine, then it undoubtedly become the most active means of communication in the news media.

First of all, excellent news photos are concise and intuitive, at a glance, greatly improving the speed and efficiency of news and information dissemination; secondly, it breaks through the language barrier, adapting to the needs of cross-cultural communication in the context of globalization. "Photographic images have an important and irreplaceable role in contemporary communication." [19] The introduction of communication science has provided a new perspective for the study of the function of photojournalism, but the research in this area is still relatively scarce now. From the carrier point of view, photojournalism has also long broken through the newspapers and magazines and other print media, to the television, the Internet and other emerging media, and its space to play to get a greater expansion.

Overall, with the news photography communication function, its status is constantly highlighted, although the situation of different newspapers have great differences, but the concept of "graphics and text" in the practice of journalism has been generally implemented. The status of photojournalism itself, "is to be forced out, by doing, rather than by shouting can be shouted out." [20]

It can be foreseen: with the arrival of the age of image communication, there is no photojournalism, it is difficult to have the prosperity of the cause of news communication.

(F) the function of photojournalism briefly

On the specific function of photojournalism, but also in line with the needs of social development and the continuous expansion and deepening of the above on the status and function of the interaction of the evolution of the process has been made a basic discussion, and here combined with the results of previous research, to do some organized generalization and supplementation.

First, as a form of news, photojournalism has the function of disseminating news information. This is the main function of photojournalism, but also the main basis for its existence. Photojournalism is the "most sensitive and agile visual nerve" in journalism, and "one of the most popular, rapid and intuitive tools for communicating all kinds of information."[21] Photojournalism is a form of journalism that has the function of disseminating news information. [21] News photography is different from the text of the report lies in its intuitive image, with a strong sense of the scene, and even readers can confirm the credibility of the text of the report with the image. Of course, it is because of the great power of news photographs, the danger of fake photos is also greater. If we extend to the vision of communication, the process of news reporting facts is also the process of disseminating knowledge, which is mainly perceptual cognition for photojournalism. At the same time, photojournalism is a kind of cultural exchange and inheritance of the bond.

Secondly, photojournalism has a special function of publicity and guidance. This function is also derived from the news dissemination function. "Socialist journalism plays the role of the party's propaganda tool and the guide of social opinion." [22] News and propaganda have always been inseparable, and there is even a considerable number of people who believe that news is propaganda, and in any case, news does play a certain role of propaganda. Photojournalism is special because photojournalism's own intuitive and real characteristics relative to the text of the news can give more powerful support to the propaganda, so especially by the publicity of the importance of.

Third, photojournalism has the function of public opinion monitoring. This is also one of the basic functions of the news. The criticisms and revelations of photojournalism are witnessed and felt on the spot, and therefore have a greater deterrent effect. If the law-breaker for "so-and-so place so-and-so" such a description has been familiar with the words, then his image to the public can undoubtedly still give him a little more deterrence. As the "People's Daily" criticized the supervisory photojournalism columns have been generally welcomed by the masses.

Fourth, the value of historical documents. Today's news is tomorrow's history, "the most fundamental task of photojournalism is to record history, reflecting the pace of the times, and promote the forward development of society." [23] "black lens", "old photos" produced by the huge social impact so that people feel the great significance of the photo as a historical record. The value of historical documents is not deliberately pursued, the true reflection of the times, the record of social change in the news photos is not only a good photo, but also rightly become a valuable historical information.

Fifth, the aesthetic function. News photographs are different from works of art, but their images reflect the true, good, beautiful, false, evil, ugly and other aspects of social life, "giving people the ability to increase the judgment of right and wrong, beauty and ugliness of real life." [24] still has its own connotation of beauty. Many news photos in the assurance of full of news information at the same time, but also can be shot beautifully, play both the transmission of news information and beautification of the page, but also bring aesthetic pleasure to the people of multiple roles, which is not detrimental to the news photography of the news and layout status.

It is worth mentioning that, in the context of globalized image communication, photojournalism images have the special advantage of cross-cultural communication and dissemination. Images in the media and photojournalism exhibitions play a special role in international exchanges, and there is nothing faster than images to let the world understand China and let China understand the world.

In recent years, various worldwide photojournalism exhibitions, such as the "National Geographic 100 Years of Selected Photography and Revisiting the Road to Marco Polo" held in Beijing from November 11, 2003, and various photography festivals have been held one after another in China, which have promoted internal exchanges within the photography industry as well as cultural exchanges between China and the world. China's cultural exchanges with the world.