The Iconic Image in a Digital Age: Editorial Mediations over the Alan Kurdi Photographs

摘要: This article investigates selected newspapers’ editorial mediations over contrasting perceptions regarding the significance of a controversial set ‘iconic’ news photographs, namely images Alan Kurdi, three-year-old Syrian refugee, whose drowned corpse washed ashore in September, 2015. Specifically, this study examined individual items, published by leading Danish, Canadian and British newspapers four-month period, engaging with reflecting upon imagery. Our analysis revealed several key deliberative features self-reflexivity, three especially salient themes shown to be emergent across coverage: a) instantaneousness historical photographic precedents; b) social media’s perceived influence on photojournalism; c) normative associations affective qualities for By elucidating these self-reflexivity within convergent digital media ecology, offers original insights into how why epistemic values governing visual communication are being reconsidered redrawn under pressure from institutional imperatives.