“How are the November 2015 Paris Attacks communicated visually to the public in international broadcasts?”

Visual research in communication studies regarding terrorism in the media has been overlooked. Television and other sources of broadcasting play a significant role in the media landscape and in the understanding of the public. The way terrorist incidents are reported and communicated can alter or influence the perception and perspective of the public. An increased understanding of the way the media reports a terrorist incident visually is as vital. The visual side is as important to the understanding as the written text. With the use of a case study, the Paris attacks of the 13th of November 2015, and a theoretical framework by Kress and van Leeuwen (2015) this thesis will attempt to shed light on the way different broadcasts use visuals and what they can potentially do with their viewers. By analyzing 18 videos of three different broadcasters using the qualitative data analysis software Atlas.ti an answer will be formed to the research question. The codes that are applied to videos...Show moreVisual research in communication studies regarding terrorism in the media has been overlooked. Television and other sources of broadcasting play a significant role in the media landscape and in the understanding of the public. The way terrorist incidents are reported and communicated can alter or influence the perception and perspective of the public. An increased understanding of the way the media reports a terrorist incident visually is as vital. The visual side is as important to the understanding as the written text. With the use of a case study, the Paris attacks of the 13th of November 2015, and a theoretical framework by Kress and van Leeuwen (2015) this thesis will attempt to shed light on the way different broadcasts use visuals and what they can potentially do with their viewers. By analyzing 18 videos of three different broadcasters using the qualitative data analysis software Atlas.ti an answer will be formed to the research question. The codes that are applied to videos originate from the framework and account for the pure visual aspects and includes added context codes. First, the broadcast is analysed separately and per dimension the most noteworthy codes are discussed with example. Also, the implications for the viewers will be elaborated. The findings, and thus the answer to the research question, indicate that all three broadcasters utilize visual elements that try to establish a connection between the represented participants in the footage with the viewer. Relying on the closeness of the shots of the victims but also on reactional vectors in narrative processes that try to convey a story and involve the viewer in the situation.Show less

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“How are the November 2015 Paris Attacks communicated visually to the public in international broadcasts?”