Silent and still : press photographs and the Kosovo war

Abstract

The study aims to investigate the photographic coverage of the Kosovo war in the Maltese daily newspaper The Times. The first part of the literature review outlines the history of war photography while the second part studies theoretical approaches to press photography. Focusing specifically on Kosovo war photos, the study reports the findings of a content analysis of 229 pictures. The analysis indicates that a limited range of images, with a special emphasis on refugees, dominated the photographic coverage. This quantitative study provides a framework within which a qualitative study of six press photographs is conducted. The qualitative investigation analyses the meanings imbued by Maltese, Serb and ethnic Albanian participants as well as the editorial intention. The findings suggests that photographic meaning is determined by its institutional and cultural context. The study concludes that the photos analysed do not simply convey objective information but in showing partial aspects of war, aim at an emotional appeal.