Photojournalism and it´s Propaganda: The Case of Chiapas

Abstract

The photographs that show the victims of the war have different functional meanings. From the social denunciation to the psychological intimidation, the scenes of war that are published in world newspapers offer different readings for the common viewer, which is shown through a spectacular language. The conflict in Chiapas was marked at all times by the value of the show. We have analyzed 299 photographs collected from January 4, 1994 to December 30, 1994, of which 114 are from El País newspaper, 122 from El Mundo, and 63 from ABC in order to study the functions that reside in press images on the Chiapas conflict. The results reveal the repetition of images, in the same newspaper or in another, with differences in the presentation and manipulations of the expressions (such as format cuts or contrast modulation), by the process of collating or the use of different captions. We have included in this article some published photographs that are relevant to the findings. The most relevant conclusions are that the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN) actively publicized itself in public opinion with planning, creativity and theatricality. It created and structured various informative events and played with symbolism in their development. The Zapatista leadership controlled its own projection in the media.