(A) the relationship between status and function
Status and function are two closely related concepts: the exertion of function determines the establishment of status; The establishment of a certain position provides a guarantee for the realization of functions. The improvement of the status of news photography and the cognition and expansion of its functions are such an interactive development process. At the same time, the position and function of news photography are also closely related to the development of the whole journalism. The position of news photography is mainly relative to the layout position of text form; The function of news photography is mainly to act as the * * * communication function of news, and then the characteristics of photography itself.
The primary task of news is to publicize the party's principles and policies. [1] This is a long-standing norm of news function, and it certainly applies to news photography, one of the "six arms". However, news is different from propaganda after all. Standardizing the development of journalism with propaganda ideas will have a negative impact on the development of journalism, which is also the reason why journalism and journalism theory research in China were "deformed" and backward before the reform and opening up. Exploring the function of news photography should also follow the laws of news itself.
(2) News photography has begun to show its skills and improve its status.
In the early 1980s, under the background of bringing order out of chaos and reform and innovation in the whole press, the photography industry began to explore its own development path. This exploration begins with improving the news value of news photography itself.
1983, Li Li had a statistic when analyzing the news value of newspaper news photos at that time: only 1 1% of the photos in People's Daily were event news photos. [2] News photos do not report news and do not perform their duties. Can you blame others for not paying attention to your status? The article also points out that the reason for this embarrassment is that journalists lack news awareness, and news and propaganda are indistinguishable. In other words, I just don't realize the role and advantages of news photography. It is correct to play the role of news photography and improve its status from the perspective of improving news value.
After that, a large number of papers in the annual meeting of photojournalism theory covered the characteristics, values, advantages and functions of photojournalism, and made a major breakthrough in the field of photojournalism practice.
In June, 198 1, China Daily was founded. The news pictures published in this newspaper are unique, not only large, but also highlight the word "people". From the subject matter, he published photos full of life breath, such as "Children Eating Watermelon" (photo by Wang Wenlan), which is both natural and vivid and close to people's lives. From the form of picture expression, it also has the characteristics of not interfering with the live snapshot of the subject, which makes people see the real value and charm of the news picture. [3] Since then, the performance field of news photography has expanded, its timeliness has been enhanced, it has been more closely linked with people's lives, and its form has become more novel and lively. Photos can be enlarged and arranged in a prominent position on the home page, and the overall number can also be increased. Since then, People's Daily, Economic Daily and China Youth Daily have paid more attention to the quantity and quality of news photos, and opened up columns of photo reports.
The advantage of news pictures lies in attracting readers' attention visually and psychologically with their vividness, and improving the efficiency of news information dissemination with their intuition. Some people cite examples of foreign newspaper pages, pointing out that news pictures are the "darling of the sky" of foreign newspapers, and the headlines must have photos, which is the demand of the times and the needs of readers [4]. The functional advantages of news photography in reporting news are excavated, which will inevitably be paid attention to in the layout and its status will be improved accordingly.
(3) the process of putting forward and realizing the combination of graphics and text.
In the mid-1980s, the voice of news photography reform was very high, and "paying equal attention to pictures and texts" was put forward at this time. However, in recent years, although there are more and more pictures on newspaper pages, the situation that "for a long time, news pictures mainly exist not as news reports, but as fillers to beautify the pages" has not fundamentally changed. "Figure", but not heavy. Therefore, how to truly realize "paying equal attention to pictures and texts" and improve and establish the status of news photography still needs further discussion.
There are two interesting articles in the collection of 1988: one is that Fan Jingyi, as the "editor-in-chief", wants to "provide a stage for photographers to display their talents", and the other is that Jin Yong, as a "photojournalist", appeals to the editor-in-chief to change his "mentality" and support the reform of photojournalism. [7] This shows that with the deepening of reform, the influence of institutional problems on the function and status of news photography is prominent.
1990, the first national newspaper editor-in-chief photojournalism seminar was held, and the general policy of newspaper editing was formally put forward, especially the idea of attaching importance to photojournalism was publicized to the editor-in-chief.
Implementing the business policy of "paying equal attention to pictures and texts" can be carried out from two aspects: first, updating the editorial concept, calling on newspapers to give more photography space and improve the layout status; The second is to improve the quality of news photography and give full play to its role and advantages in news reporting. Editor-in-chief is the key to paying equal attention to graphics and text. "Only the editor-in-chief who has the power of life and death in newspaper layout gives the green light to the layout, and the policy of paying equal attention to pictures and texts can be implemented." [8] "Lots of pictures" is necessary. Without a certain amount, "heavy" can't be displayed, but "heavy picture" mainly means that news pictures have weight, can spread important information and reflect major themes. [9] The relationship between pictures and words is cooperation and competition. "Photographers and writers strive for equal rights to interview and publish", [10] should choose specific reporting methods according to the situation of news events. People believe that as long as news photography is given a chance, it will definitely win the corresponding position by virtue of its own advantages.
(D) Market economy brings opportunities to news photography.
The trend of social development and the change of newspaper situation also make news photography face new opportunities and challenges. After Comrade Deng Xiaoping's southern tour speech and the 14th National Congress, "market economy" has become the theme of social concern. Our journalism is to reflect the features of the times, and news photography, as an important wing, should do its part. "The most fundamental task of news photography is to record history, reflect the pace of the times and promote social development." [1 1] So the question before news photography is how to reflect the China society under the condition of market economy.
Under the condition of market economy, the society is characterized by increasingly rich and efficient demand and supply, and people's demand for news information is more direct and rapid, which just gives news photography an opportunity to show its talents. "News photography can more intuitively reflect the image of typical characters and record the original ecology of typical characters' work and life, which is conducive to enhancing the authenticity and credibility of the report. "[12] At the same time, in order to attract readers to occupy the market, newspapers should pay attention to the needs of readers and tap their own selling points, and photos are the best" selling points "of newspapers. [ 13]
News photography has become a powerful tool for market-oriented newspaper competition and has penetrated into all fields of news reporting. Reading newspapers has become "reading pictures", so some people exclaim that we have entered the "era of reading pictures" News photography has received so much attention, and its status has been further improved. Some people began to emphasize its independent status, [14] even called for news photography to play a leading role in newspapers, [15] and reported news editorial pages with pictures as the center.
What really makes news photography "independent" is the emergence of a large number of thematic photography, and the opening of the special edition of 1995 China Youth Daily. But even so, news photography can't get rid of words and report news alone. The expression of "independence" and "protagonist" can only be regarded as a strong desire for news photography to get rid of the shackles of the concept of "emphasizing text over pictures" If "paying equal attention to pictures and texts" was originally a banner for news photography to strive for its own status and development, then the urgent problem now should be to explore how to better combine pictures and texts in order to improve the overall quality of news and meet the challenges of the times. From "paying equal attention to pictures and texts" to "illustrating pictures and texts" [16] and "linking pictures and texts", [17] is also a process in which the position and function of news photography are gradually clarified.
The relativity between the advantages and disadvantages of news photography has been recognized by people as early as the early 1980s. At the end of 1990s, the wave of yellow newspapers in the west 150 years ago reappeared in China's press, and the visual pollution caused by the proliferation of low-quality pictures once again aroused people's reflection.
How should I redraw it? "Paying equal attention to pictures and texts" is put forward for "paying more attention to texts than pictures", and the key of "paying more attention to pictures" lies in "ignoring pictures to express news, and" paying more attention to pictures means paying attention to image news ",rather than just decorating the layout with pictures. [18] Under the market pressure, the field of news photography has also turned to be more pragmatic in theoretical research, and news photography has been reformed with the attraction of layout and the management of newspapers as the starting point. However, this is not contradictory to emphasizing the news value of news photography. A successful newspaper that can stand the test of the market depends on excellent news pictures. The unique role and function of photography in news reporting determines that newspapers that really value news will not despise the layout position of pictures.
(E) News photography in the era of image communication
If news photography is put into the image communication environment in the image age, it will undoubtedly become the most active means of communication in the news media.
First of all, excellent news pictures are concise, intuitive and clear at a glance, which greatly improves the speed and efficiency of news information dissemination; Secondly, it breaks through the language barrier and adapts to the needs of cross-cultural communication under the background of globalization. "Photographic images play an important and irreplaceable role in contemporary communication." [19] The introduction of communication provides a new perspective for the study of news photography function, but the research in this field is still relatively few. From the carrier point of view, news photography has already broken through the shackles of print media such as newspapers and magazines, and moved towards emerging media such as television and internet, and the exhibition space has been further expanded.
Generally speaking, with the highlight of the communication function of news photography, its position is also constantly highlighted. Although the situation of different newspapers is very different, the concept of "paying equal attention to pictures and texts" has been widely implemented in news practice. The orientation of news photography itself is "to be forced out, to be done, not to be shouted out." [20]
It can be predicted that with the advent of the era of image communication, without news photography, it is difficult to have the prosperity of news communication.
(6) Brief introduction of news photography function
The specific functions of news photography are constantly expanding and deepening to meet the needs of social development. The evolution of the interaction between status and function has been basically discussed above. Here, combined with previous research results, I will do some systematic induction and supplement.
First of all, news photography, as a form of news, has the function of spreading news information. This is the main function of news photography and the main basis for its existence. News photography is "the most alert and agile visual nerve" in journalism, and it is also "one of the most popular, fastest and most intuitive tools to spread all kinds of information". [2 1] The difference between news photography and written reports lies in its intuitive image and strong sense of scene, and even readers can prove the credibility of written reports with images. Of course, it is precisely because of the power of news photos that fake photos are more harmful. If extended to the perspective of communication, the process of news reporting facts is also a process of spreading knowledge, which is mainly perceptual cognition for news photography. At the same time, news photography is the link of cultural exchange and inheritance.
Secondly, news photography has a special propaganda and guidance function. This function is also derived from the news dissemination function. "Socialist journalism is the propaganda tool of the Party, which has the function of guiding public opinion." [22] News and propaganda have always been inextricably linked, and even quite a few people think that news is propaganda, and in any case, news does play a certain role in propaganda. News photography is special because it is intuitive and true, and it can give more powerful support to propaganda than written news, so it is especially valued by propaganda.
Third, news photography has the function of public opinion supervision. This is also one of the basic functions of news. The critical exposure of news photography is a witness and a sense of presence, so it is more deterrent. If the person who violates the law and discipline has turned a blind eye to the description of "so-and-so", then making his image public will undoubtedly give him more shock. For example, people's daily's critical and supervised news photography columns such as "stand here and keep photos" have been widely welcomed by the masses.
Fourth, the value of historical documents. Today's news is tomorrow's history. "The most fundamental task of news photography is to record history, reflect the pace of the times and promote social development." [23] The huge social impact of "black lens" and "old photos" makes people feel the great significance of photos as historical records. Do not deliberately pursue the value of historical documents. News photos that truly reflect the times and record social changes are not only good photos, but also naturally become precious historical materials.
Fifth, aesthetic function. Although news photography works are different from works of art, their images reflect the truth, goodness, beauty, falsehood, ugliness and ugliness of social life, which "increases people's ability to judge the right and wrong of real life." [24] still has its own beauty connotation. Many news photos can be taken beautifully while ensuring that they are full of news information, which can not only convey news information, beautify the layout, but also bring aesthetic pleasure to people without damaging the newsworthiness and layout status of news photography.
It is worth mentioning that in the context of global image communication, news photographic images have special advantages in cross-cultural communication and communication. Images in media and news photography exhibitions play a special role in international communication. Nothing can let the world know China and China know the world better than images.
In recent years, various world-wide news photography exhibitions have been held in China, such as the "Selected National Geographic Centennial Photographs Visiting Kyle Polo Road" held in Beijing since June 65438+1October 0, 2003. Various photography festivals have promoted the cultural exchange between China and the world.