Photojournalist Framing in the Ecological Crisis: The DANA Flood Coverage
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsWhile the review of previous relevant scholarship is fairly comprehensive and quite well presented, there do seem to be some particularly relevant works, especially with regards to the use of images for aesthetic or "decorative" rather than informational purposes, that could also be mentioned. For example, a book chapter "Images from Nowhere: Visuality and News in 21st Century Media," in the book Visual Cultures: A Transatlantic Perspective, Depkat (ed.), specifically addresses the use of photographic images in news as only loosely tied, if at all, to informational functions. Also, Griffin's work on the "proxy" use of images in war reporting: "Media Images of War," Media, War & Conflict, 2010. Since this area of visual communication research is not widely recognized and the authors are contributing to a relatively original line of news imagery studies, it would enhance the literature review and theoretical background to more fully recognize such previous scholarship on the patterns and practices of image use in news.
The research methods and findings in this article are well-conceptualized and coherent, and the presentation of the research is well organized and clearly articulated. This is a solid piece of scholarship and I commend the authors on their work.
Author Response
Comments 1: While the review of previous relevant scholarship is fairly comprehensive and quite well presented, there do seem to be some particularly relevant works, especially with regards to the use of images for aesthetic or "decorative" rather than informational purposes, that could also be mentioned. For example, a book chapter "Images from Nowhere: Visuality and News in 21st Century Media," in the book Visual Cultures: A Transatlantic Perspective, Depkat (ed.), specifically addresses the use of photographic images in news as only loosely tied, if at all, to informational functions. Also, Griffin's work on the "proxy" use of images in war reporting: "Media Images of War," Media, War & Conflict, 2010. Since this area of visual communication research is not widely recognized and the authors are contributing to a relatively original line of news imagery studies, it would enhance the literature review and theoretical background to more fully recognize such previous scholarship on the patterns and practices of image use in news.
Response 1: Thank you for pointing this out. We have already included both references. p. 2, paragraph 2, lines: 53-59.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsReview of the manuscript "Photojournalist Framing in the Ecological Crisis: the DANA Flood Coverage"
Dear Athors,
I would like to state in advance that I consider the submitted manuscript to be a very thorough work, a high-quality scientific paper.
The contextualization of the research is appropriate, in the introduction the authors of the study accurately show the challenges posed by Climate Change in journalism and photojournalism (stereotypical representation, visual homogenization). After that, in the literature review the authors show the problematic of photojournalism as a medium and the related emotional impact of photos (the overused stereotypical images). They also cite good, high-quality authors such as Barbie Zelizer and Stuart Allen regarding journalistic and photojournalistic tasks related to disasters and crises. The reviewer was pleased to read the literature review, which shows that the authors are not just "surfing Google Scholar literature on the surface", but are actually familiar with the foundational literature on the topic.
The empirical research is well designed and precisely executed.
The researchers have thought through their research questions. The only small critical observation is that the notation of the research questions could possibly be rewritten as RQ1, RQ2, etc.
The selection of the research corpus, the sampling is appropriate (El Pais, El Mundo, etc.) and is adequately supported (Digital News Report 2024).
The analysis of the data is appropriate, both in terms of content analysis and denotative meaning and frame analysis and connotation. The coding process is also described in the paper (p. 8).
The presentation of the results follows the well-thought-out logical arc of the research. The analysis is an argumentative text, the arguments are justified and we do not encounter just a description. The conclusion drawn from the research is also appropriate.
It is important that the study also makes practical recommendations regarding how photojournalism should present such and similar natural disasters in the context of CC, so that the press can fulfill its normative task.
The structure of the study meets scientific expectations.
I recommend publication with minimal changes, but even in an unchanged form.
The Reviewer
Author Response
Comments 1: The researchers have thought through their research questions. The only small critical observation is that the notation of the research questions could possibly be rewritten as RQ1, RQ2, etc.
Response 1: We agree with this comment, and we have included the research questions in the suggested format (page 6, lines: 283-291).
Comments 2: It is important that the study also makes practical recommendations regarding how photojournalism should present such and similar natural disasters in the context of CC, so that the press can fulfill its normative task.
Response 2: Thank you for pointing this out. We just introduced some recommendations that will be fully developed in future publications as the result of the research that we are conducting at this moment.
