Cover of Mozambique Revolution, no. 32 (December 1967–January 1968)
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In his essay, “Photography and Communication in the Nineteenth Century,” Simone Natale states that “photography is still considered a matter for art history, rather than for a history of media.” Yet photography plays a critical role in our lives as a form of visual communication.
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2020-11-25T07:54:30-08:00
In his essay, “Photography and Communication in the Nineteenth Century,” Simone Natale states that “photography is still considered a matter for art history, rather than for a history of media.” Yet photography plays a critical role in our lives as a form of visual communication. In the history of many countries, we have seen photographic propaganda shift the values of different cultures, stemming from political, governmental, and societal issues. With the advancement of technology, these images become more powerful throughout the nineteenth and twentieth century. In the image seen here, we see journalism tactics through African propaganda during the Mozambique Revolution. In the revolution, the people of Mozambique were fighting for their independence against the Portuguese. Specific phrases in the photocollage, including “Mozambique guerillas down the plane” and “Portugal steps up their military budget,” communicate to the viewer to prepare for potential conflict. Photography not only influences societies throughout the entire world but also affects individual human behavior. The way the collage of newspaper fragments is crowded and shown in oblique angles intrigues the audience while revealing multiple pieces of information. It almost seems as if different newspaper headlines regarding the revolution were ripped up and put together. The words in red also represent much more historical significance to the audience and show the critical revolution. The media manipulates these visual images to promote specific agendas, both positive and negative. In this image, rather than showing information in a straightforward manner, this collage sets information in bold letters and diagonally turns phrases from the news to induce a persuasive effect.
