Online Archive of University of Virginia Scholarship
"Clouds of Fantasy and Pellets of Information": Photojournalism and British Counterinsurgencies115 views
Author
Ellis, Faith, History - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Virginia
Advisors
Linstrum, Erik, AS-History (HIST), University of Virginia
Abstract
This paper examines the photojournalism coverage of British counterinsurgencies in Malaya, Kenya, Cyprus, and Northern Ireland in order to understand the underlying narratives that were communicated about the nature of the conflicts. Photography’s implicit claim to transparency and dialogue with the matrix of cultural beliefs and assumptions to which it refers to offers a rich source of information about how these conflicts were communicated to outside citizens. Through several recurring motifs, the photojournalism communicated that all four insurgencies communicated a threat, but not one so great that it threatened British control. The ambiguous messages of the photographs made them too fragile to emerge as “iconic” photos, or function as vessels of collective memory.
Degree
MA (Master of Arts)
Keywords
Counterinsurgency; Photojournalism
Language
English
Rights
All rights reserved (no additional license for public reuse)
Ellis, Faith. "Clouds of Fantasy and Pellets of Information": Photojournalism and British Counterinsurgencies. University of Virginia, History - Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, MA (Master of Arts), 2024-04-29, https://doi.org/10.18130/gvp5-0280.
