Dubai: Photography, especially photojournalism, has had a greater impact in reporting the plight of Syrian migrants compared to any other form of reporting, a senior Reuters journalist said at the Arab Media Forum in Dubai today.
Images of migrants, as they travelled from Syria to various parts of Europe, have been extensively covered by the media, with mostly prime positioning by both the print and electronic mediums influencing the audience and creating a strong opinion, said William Maclean, Gulf Bureau Chief, Thomson Reuters.
Photographs have managed to capture the humanitarian aspects of the Syrian migrant crisis in all its forms, building empathy, exposing both the harsh realities and conveying people’s courage, determination, hope and dignity.
Explaining the power of photography in reporting crisis situations, Maclean said photojournalism has become more powerful compared to its print counterpart and will continue to prevail despite the emergence of new technology such as Virtual Reality, 360 degree videos, etc.
“Photos record the reality of what is currently happening, thereby building a humanitarian bridge between the person who is photographed and the photographer. Some of these images convey people’s courage, determination, hope and dignity,” he says.
Explaining the humanitarian aspect of the Syrian migrant crisis and the power of the image versus the power of the text, Maclean said the crisis has been a perfect example of how images managed to create empathy and drove the audience to understand the situation on the ground and the plight of the migrant.
The photographers, according to him, play a crucial role in balancing out the situation. “The images capture and express the ordeal as the migrants try and escape the war. It becomes an emotional experience to report these stories. For many, it’s far easier to take these pictures than to handle the emotional part,” he said.
