Media Literacy is Dying

Visual Media Study is Political.

When we talk about politics, we usually think of speeches, elections, legislatures and policies. But in the modern era — more than ever — what people see is just as important as what people hear. The field of visual media study (films, art, photographs, memes, digital images) has emerged not as a fringe academic interest, but as a central battleground for political meaning and power.

The Image Is the Argument

Visual media doesn’t just illustrate politics — it makes politics. A photograph of despair or rage can spark empathy, outrage or action. A film can reshape cultural narratives about war, migration, class or identity. Academic research increasingly shows how these pictorial forms exert influence. One study found that even on social media platforms, a politician’s imagery can signal ideological orientation and persuade opinion by sheer layout and emotional tone. Another project argued there’s a whole “visual politics” dimension — where images aren’t just representations, but active participants in political discourse.

Consider: the iconic “tank man” image from Tiananmen Square, or the drowned toddler on the beach that galvanised European refugee policy. These weren’t just pictures — they became political events. Visual media study reminds us there are politics in composition, frame, lighting, symbol, omission.

Visual Media Study Reveals Hidden Power

What does this mean for politics? Let us pick out three themes where visual media study matters more than we typically admit:

1. Legitimacy & Memory:

Regimes don’t only rule by law or force — they also rule by image. How a state presents itself in monuments, film, propaganda, public art influences how people feel about its legitimacy. For example, studies of the Portuguese Estado Novo (a mid-20th century authoritarian regime) show how that regime deployed visual art, cinema, posters and architecture to manufacture consent and rewrite history. And of course, let us not forget Orwell's 1984.

2. Mobilisation and Emotion:

Visual media triggers emotion faster than words. In protests or social movements, the image of suffering, injustice or heroic resistance often becomes the pivot. Research into social-media imagery of political campaigns found that images which personalise candidates (in everyday settings, with families, relaxed) tend to increase voter connection and engagement.

3. Control of Narratives in the Digital Age:

We’re now in an era where images are created, shared, manipulated and spread at lightning speed. Deepfakes, memes, AI-generated visuals, edited video — these are all tools of political persuasion. Visual media study alerts us to the fact that seeing is not believing; what you see is often constructed. A review of propaganda in memes found that images and text together are used intentionally to influence opinion.

Here’s why political thinkers, activists, policy-makers and citizens should care:

• Because if you underestimate visual media, you underestimate the shape of modern political conflict. The fight is not just over policy but over perception, representation and image.

• Because visual literacy becomes an essential civic skill. If voters cannot decode how images are used to persuade or mislead, democracy weakens.

• Because technology amplifies visuals now more than words. With smartphones, social platforms and deep learning tools, imagery can mould public belief, sometimes stealthily.

• Because scholars and journalists often still focus on text — speeches, manifestos, legislation — and neglect the image. Visual media study forces us to shift our lens.

The time has come for a “visual politics awakening”. Not just in academic departments of media studies, but in the practical politics of everyday life. Here are my key thoughts:

• Political campaigns must treat imagery as core strategy. Looking good on camera isn’t enough — meaning, context and consistency matter.

• Citizens should become visually literate. Ask: who created this image? what emotion does it play on? what’s omitted?

• Policymakers and regulators must recognise that image-based manipulation (via AI, social media) is a public-policy issue. It’s not just fake news, it is fake imagery, propaganda by another name.

• Educators and media outlets should highlight the politics of visuals — not just in propaganda era but in everyday digital media.

• Finally, visual media study should not remain niche. It should be central to discussions of democracy, power, legitimacy and change.

Politics is seen. The posters, the films, the Instagram stories, the street murals — they all shape our world. As visual media becomes ever more dominant, our understanding of politics must expand beyond texts and speeches to frames and pixels. Because in the end, control over the image is often control over belief, behaviour and power.

So the next time you pass a billboard, click on a meme, watch a political ad — remember: you’re not just seeing an image. You’re entering a political space. And unless you’ve thought about its construction, you’re already at a disadvantage.

- A collaborative piece by the Visual Media Study Focus Group @ ISYPO