Abstract
This study investigated how visual framing influences discrete emotional responses, empathy, behavioral intentions, and efficacy in reaction to visual solutions journalism. A 2 (story topic: drug addiction, homelessness) × 4 (visual frame condition: no photo, solution-only, problem-only, combination) mixed design experiment revealed that images showing only social problems elicited the lowest levels of compassion in viewers, challenging long-held assumptions about the utility of social problem imagery. Image pairs showing both problems and solutions were revealed to be effective at eliciting moderate levels of emotional response, including hope, compassion, and empathy.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 230-252 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| Journal | Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly |
| Volume | 101 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 2024 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: I actually did receive a $2,000 grant from the Indiana University Center of Excellence for Women in Technology that supported this project.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 AEJMC.
Keywords
- addiction
- homelessness
- photojournalism
- solutions journalism
- visual framing
