The Visual Representation Of Farmers' Images In News Photography

News photography, a way of news report, has a history of more than onehundred years ever since its birth in mid 19th century. It make people acquire a way toreading, i.e. viewing news by means of images, in which its great significance lies.Some people believe that news photography enables people to view the reportedobjects directly via technology which imitates peoples visual faculty. Therefore itresolves the distance between the real fact and the report. It is really the case? Theconstructivism suggests that the news information which people view, in great extend,is on the basis of the report that has been constructed by the communicator. Therefore,it is the important way to analyze systematically the research of news photographyfree from restriction of purely photographic technology and aesthetic standard, whichfinds the communicator's self-conscience hidden behind the report, i.e. the necessaryanswer to the question about how to construct under the preposition that constructionis acknowledged.It is well known that the period during 1990s is a particular phase of socialdevelopment in China. Through comparison, there exist certain differences in thefarmer's representation between sociological research and photographic reports ofPeople' Daily. In which way photographic report of People's Daily constructsfarmer's image? In this article, photography report, according to the notion about"representation" among ideas of constructivism, is regarded as a kind of visualrepresentation. Meanwhile, the farmers' media images represented in the photographyreports is to be discussed by means of the combination of quantitative and qualitativestudy as well as single case research.First, analyzing the contents in these reports according to narrativistic analysis,in a whole, farmers are depicted as images under tender care, contributing. As far asmore concrete theme is concerned, the reports about science technology and farmersplace more emphasis upon the publicity of people with technology expertise as wellas the enlightening ignorant farmers instead of reporting application of newtechnology. Consequently, farmers' images became as incidental as foils in the reports.The journalists' attitudes towards reporting rural laborers in cities, actually, can hardlymake the real living condition of rural laborers known to the public, which, in the certain extend, influence the masses' social recognition upon them. Second, analyzingthe images in reports according to photographic formula, i.e. a visual mode guided bya dominant representation notion. According to the analysis of the scenario,composition and visual elements appearing repeatedly as well as its features, visualimages strengthen the literal guiding significance, therefore, the farmer's image isemphasized again as one who is under tender care and who is makingcontribution.The comparison of farmers' images in this article is discussed against thebackground of the sociological research. The civil image filmed in 1990s serves as amirror of farmers' images in People's Daily as well. Third, comparing the civilfarmers' images filmed in 1990s. Adopting the same media, focusing on the samesocial group, different communicators, however, portray radically different farmers'images.Through reasoning, in 1990s, it can be concluded that, under the guidance ofsystem conscience, the farmers' visual representation in news photography ofPeople's Daily is characterized by one-sidedness. Though it suits the expectation ofthe political character, whether it can communicate effectively is still at issue. Afteradvancing the corresponding solution, the author contend further that, in thisincreasingly complicate communicative environment, the problem lies no longer inreport about farmers, but. in the visual communicative mechanism betweenorganization function of Party and social function of news agency.