Compassionate Horror or Compassion Fatigue? Responses to Human-Cost-of-War Photographs

Authors

  • Jennifer Midberry Lehigh University

Keywords:

photojournalism, compassion fatigue, empathy, war photography, visual communication, visual framing

Abstract

Despite the insistence of photojournalists that war images have the potential for stirring concern, little academic research has looked specifically at the relationship between conflict photos and empathy, compassion, and engagement. This study used focus group interviews to investigate what type of visual frames in war photos might evoke empathy and compassion while encouraging engagement. More specifically, this study examined whether participants made meaning differently out of photos with three types of human-cost-of-war visual frames and a militarism frame in terms of empathic and compassionate responses and their intentions of future engagement with war coverage.

Author Biography

Jennifer Midberry, Lehigh University

Jennifer Midberry, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in Lehigh University's Journalism and Communication Department. Her research focuses on ethical issues related to photographing vulnerable people, empathic and other affective responses to photojournalism of social issues, and visual stereotypes, with an emphasis on depictions of Islam and the Middle East in U.S. media. She earned her doctorate in Media and Communication from Temple University, and holds a master’s degree in Near Eastern studies from New York University and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Messiah College. Previous to her academic career, she worked as a photojournalist and photo editor at organizations such as the Philadelphia Daily News, Associated Press, AOL News, and ABC News.215-290-4432

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Published

2020-08-14

Issue

Vol. 14 (2020)

Section

Articles

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