I’m sure we have all heard the expression “a picture speaks a thousand words.” I have heard that saying is used to convey the importance of capturing memories and using pictures as we gain memories. However, pictures often speak a thousand words in terms of current events, tragedies, and real people being affected.
I recently visited Newseum and observed two different front pages and observed the different uses of visual rhetoric being used.
First, I clicked on the front page titled, “Hurricane Katrina Wreaks Havoc, 2005.” The picture displayed streets flooded, cars submerged underwater, and people struggling to get out of the flooded streets. Here, immeasurable words were spoken. If people were to read about what happened, it might still be sad and devastating, but the picture displayed with real life people conveys the true devastation occurring, rather than just listing the number of fatalities or how the flood began.
Secondly, I clicked on the front page of “Terrorists Attacks of September 11, 2001.” Here, the picture used conveyed a similar message to the previous article discussed. The image displayed fire in the middle of two buildings, with smoke and gas blowing into the air. Again, this image conveys the true tragedy of the event more than writing about the event could.
Although these two tragic events cannot be compared, I felt a more emotional connection with Hurricane Katrina because the picture displayed people in it. I think seeing real life people affected by these awful events speaks volumes. A thousand words is only a thousand words, but the words conveyed in devastating pictures can not always be quantified.
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