Understanding Visual Framing

How News Media Shapes Political Messages

 

In political messaging, the term "visual farming" refers to the deliberate use of pictures and visual media to sway public opinion and perceptions of agricultural practices, laws, and concerns. The way the news media choose and portray images that have the power to dramatically alter the political narrative around farming and agriculture is one way that they contribute to this process.

News media's use of visual farming greatly shapes political messages. They may present stories in a way that makes them seem favorable or bad by carefully choosing and placing visuals. Images of lush, verdant fields, for example, may allude to prosperous farming methods, but images of areas devastated by drought could draw attention to environmental issues. Viewer interpretation is also influenced by the context in which these photos are displayed, including any headlines, captions, or supplementary text. A headline criticizing unjust policies combined with a picture of a protesting farmer might make the topic seem more relevant and appealing by framing it as a political conflict.

Visual farming by the media also has the power to shape political symbols and define public policy. Media sources can emphasize some themes while downplaying others by highlighting particular challenges, such as industrial farming or sustainability. Additionally, images are effective storytelling devices that document agricultural communities' experiences and strengthen certain narratives over time. Bias is a possibility, though, as representation or editing choices might skew the political message to support a certain editorial position. Thus, how pictures are used in the news media matters a great deal in influencing how the general public views agriculture and how politics around it are argued.

During the farmer protest in India that was against the government ¸ media did not play its role and misled the Public. So farmers called certain media outlets, referred to as "Godi media"—a term used to describe media organizations perceived to be biased in favor of the Narendra Modi government. The farmers first criticized the lack of media attention, but as time passed, they became increasingly irate, accusing these sources of misrepresenting their protest. The farmers angrily rejected that stations like Zed News, Republic, and Aaj Tak twisted the story by implying a "Khalistani angle" to the demonstrations. Furthermore, the farmers believed that their credibility was compromised by the reporters' reported deceptive questions and attention to unimportant details, including farmers speaking English or wearing jeans. The farmers experienced a substantial decline in trust as a result of the media's persistent distortion; they felt deceived.

During the farmer protest in India that was against the government ¸, the media did not play its role and misled the Public. So farmers called certain media outlets, referred to as "Godi media"—a term used to describe media organizations perceived to be biased in favor of the Narendra Modi government. The farmers first criticized the lack of media attention, but as time passed, they became increasingly irate, accusing these sources of misrepresenting their protest. The farmers angrily rejected that stations like Zed News, Republic, and Aaj Tak twisted the story by implying a "Khalistani angle" to the demonstrations. Furthermore, the farmers believed that their credibility was compromised by the reporters' reported deceptive questions and attention to unimportant details, including farmers speaking English or wearing jeans. The farmers experienced a substantial decline in trust due to the media's persistent distortion; they felt deceived.

Author - Mankaranpreet kaur (2236388)

REFERENCES

Asheef Iqubbal, & Asheef Iqubbal. (2021, January 15). Reclaiming the narrative: What farmer protests and Trolley Times tell us about the media’s systemic failure. Newslaundry. https://www.newslaundry.com/2021/01/15/reclaiming-the-narrative-what-farmer-protests-and-trolley-times-tell-us-about-the-medias-systemic-failure

 

 

 

Nidhi Suresh, & Nidhi Suresh. (2020, December 1). ‘Media has lost our trust’: Why protesting farmers are angry with ‘Godi media.’ Newslaundry. https://www.newslaundry.com/2021/01/15/2020/12/01/media-has-lost-our-trust-why-are-protesting-farmers-angry-with-godi-media

 

Afp, L. M. W. (2024, February 14). Indian police attempt to block capital from protesting farmers. Le Monde.fr. https://www.lemonde.fr/en/india/article/2024/02/14/indian-police-attempt-to-block-capital-from-protesting-farmers_6523305_168.html

 

Owen, D. (n.d.). The new media’s role in politics | OpenMind. OpenMind. https://www.bbvaopenmind.com/en/articles/the-new-media-s-role-in-politics/