This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Brennen, B. S. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

From Headline Shooter to Picture Snatcher

The construction of photojournalists in American film, 1928-39

Temple University, brennenb{at}missouri.edu

The existing research that addresses the depiction of photojournalists in popular culture focuses primarily on stereotypical characters and assessments of their distorted reflections of ‘reality’. In contrast, this article considers elements of popular cultural practices produced under specific social, economic, and political conditions that may provide useful insights into the actual lived experiences of photojournalists. Framed from a cultural materialist perspective, this research suggests that American films are cultural artifacts that offer documentary evidence as to the actual working conditions of photojournalists. Specifically, this research project focuses on the construction of photojournalists in 20 American films, in which photojournalists and cameramen appear as central characters, produced during the late 1920s and 1930s. The insights gained from the films are also evaluated through a lens of scholarly and trade literature about photojournalism written during the beginning of the 20th century.

Key Words: authenticity of images • cultural materialism • Hollywood film • photographers and cameramen • popular culture • stereotypical depictions • visual culture

Journalism, Vol. 5, No. 4, 423-439 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/1464884904044203


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?