Civilia 2023, 14(2):87-99 | DOI: 10.5507/civ.2023.010

How will we remember the war? Journalistic photography in the relationship between memory formation and education

Zuzana Jarolímková

Institut komunikačních studií a žurnalistiky, Fakulta sociálních věd, Univerzita Karlova, Smetanovo nábřeží 6, 110 01 Praha 1

Photography is one of the mediums through which we form our memory. Astrid Erll sees it as a "sign for the past" and a clue for defining historical events. It is also involved in creating postmemory, becoming a bridge between generations. Marianne Hirsch described this process in the case of the Holocaust, but it still happens today. Images that define similar events can become myths that shape their visual form. That is how historical events are seen, even by students in the classroom. In the digital age, photo sharing has become more accessible. The media have a long-lasting influence on the generation of a society's history and how it is represented and distributed. They are involved in creating an image that reaches children. Journalistic photographs illustrate the interpretation of the Second World War, the Vietnam conflict in textbooks, and one-day events in Ukraine. However, it is not only at school that they come into contact with them, but also on social media. This paper explores the shaping of memory through iconic journalistic photographs, using wartime conflicts as an example, and its subsequent use in education and awareness raising for children and young people.

Keywords: Photojournalism, Education, Textbooks, History, Photography, Postmemory

Published: December 15, 2023  Show citation