Garry Baker: "A War of Pictures": May 16, 2004

"Photographs of war have been changing public opinion for a long time. But the internet has now made a picture worth millions of words. [...] Graphic television coverage of human conflict has been commonplace since the Vietnam War, but the intervention of the internet has changed the rules. Anyone with a digital video camera and a computer can spread whatever message they choose to millions of people, few of them in a position to know the full truth. [...] "One could hope that this increase in the circulation of images of human tragedy might make us more compassionate, but unfortunately that does not seem to be the case," says Richard Devetak. "It is not going to stop wars." Like many commentators, Devetak fears the Berg video will serve mainly to raise the rage in middle America and strengthen President George Bush's support and his resolve to continue, even escalate, the war in Iraq. "It is likely to heighten our sensitivity to the plight of our own soldiers on the ground and also make the war even nastier."
[The Age]