1. How do media
cover Social
Justice?
By Diana Elbasha

2. Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will…
• Understand the meaning of social justice and which
issues constitute “news”
• Gain perspective on how social justice has evolved in
recent decades
• Know the most effective ways of covering sensitive
social justice topics
• Understand the effects of different types of media on a
story

3. Social Justice Defined
Social justice generally refers to the idea of
creating an egalitarian society or institution that is
based on the principles of equality and solidarity,
that understands and values human rights, and
that recognizes the dignity of every human being.
Education and Social Justice, J. Zajda, S. Majhanovich
Includes topics such as poverty, discrimination,
racism, injustice, civil rights, and humanitarian
issues, among others.

4. Social Justice in Images
Conveying information through images is one of
the most effective, emotion-arousing forms of
communication.
- Research has shown that emotional content is the most likely
to become viral, as are “awe-inspiring” stories that force
readers to view the world differently.
- News-related images are more likely to be shared than
humorous ones, according to research by Social Media Expert
Dan Zarrella.
- “Vivid” images are particularly effective because they present
content in a “language” that is understood by all people,
regardless of literacy, culture, etc. All brains have the same
capability of interpreting images.

5. In Perspective
Read this Washington Post
story and view some
photos depicting the 1999
Kosovo conflict.
Note the differences in detail between these two features:
the use of imagery through words versus imagery through
photos.
• Photos were successful in capturing emotion through
tears, facial expressions, dead bodies, etc.
• Which medium did you personally prefer?

6. ACTIVITY
You are the editor of the New York Times. You must select one of
these photos to accompany a front page story about the Somali
famine.
How will you make your
decision? Click to view larger
images

7. This was the Times’ actual front page.
While Executive Editor Bill Keller took some heat for running
this photo, he stood by the decision, calling it a “no-brainer.”

8. Images, continued
Discussion:
• How did you feel after viewing the Times’ slideshow?
• After seeing the photos, do you feel more compelled to
take action to help the Somali cause?
• Where is the line for journalists between informing the
public and advocating for a social issue?
• Is it okay for journalists to advocate for global crises?
Are there exceptions?
Related content: TIME’s “100 Photos that Changed the
World”

9. There is an ongoing ethical debate about
publishing graphic images of humans in such
circumstances.
Is it part of covering news, or is it distasteful?
Here are two opinions on publishing photos of famished Somalis.
“The fact that people far away can see with visceral immediacy the facts of a crisis like
the one now hitting the Horn of Africa is one of the most optimistic aspects of the modern
world. Consciences are awakened by the camera ... [these pictures] tell the whole world
what will happen across the region unless urgent international action comes
immediately.” – Jonathan Jones, The Guardian
“The photographs fail to show the reason why so many people have reached this state of
destitution. Underneath the high visibility famine lies an age-old and sustainable way of living that
has been disrupted by a modern world system, and whose ability to adapt to the cycle of drought
has been severely undermined.” – Helen de Jode, The Guardian

10. Photographers aren’t the only ones using images:

12. What messages are these cartoons conveying?

13. The “Happy”
Side
This Pulitzer-
winning image
illustrated
what
photographer
Carol Guzy
called a
“happy”
moment in
midst of
conflict in
Kosovo: a lost
baby had
been found,
and was being
How often do you feel you get the positive side of a
passed over a
fence to his humanitarian conflict? In your opinion, was covering this
parents. moment necessary? Helpful to understanding the
situation? Distracting?

14. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/02/new-york-times-graphic-somali-
photo_n_915912.html?1312292151
http://www.tadias.com/08/03/2011/east-africa-famine-gets-renewed-attention-in-u-s-media/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/22/consciences-awakened-camera
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2011/jul/20/famine-africa-result-modern-parctice