Fred Ritchin's Why Violent News Images Matter

A picture is worth a thousand words. This phrase has been around for a while. But should those thousand words be said? Should that picture be taken? This is what author Fred Ritchin addresses in his essay “Why Violent News Images Matter.” Ritchin assesses both sides of the argument on violent images and informs the reader on what he thinks should be done. He takes on an almost casual and educating tone, like a teacher, to explain each side of the argument and lead the readers to his conclusion. Ritchin’s introduction to his essay does not include his claim. There are various claims that express the stance of both sides of the argument, however the claim supported by Ritchin is not stated until much later in the piece. First Ritchin sets up both sides of the argument surrounded graphic photography. “One argument is that editors working for mainstream outlets, and perhaps even …show more content…
“… as if a struggle for good against evil might be being played out before the camera, with elements of heroism, bravery, betrayal, and cowardice…” (Ritchin). This human desire for good to defeat evil is nearly as old as humanity itself and Ritchin is not the first to realize this. The earliest fables and epics recorded often hold the same theme. The Epic of Gilgamesh, considered the earliest known form of literature, tells a tale of the brave hero, Gilgamesh, defeating various evils, such as Humbaba. (ancient-liturature.com) The most well-known struggle between good and evil can be found in The Bible. After Ritchin discusses this struggle between light and dark he continues the paragraph by commenting on the “vividly photographable” and horrific scenes found in war. Ritchin argues that these photos have a much greater impact on viewers than images of animals kept in poor conditions. This concept gives purpose to the rhetorical questions used earlier in the