The Robert Capa Myth: Hegemonic Masculinity in Photojournalism’s Professional Indoctrination

Abstract This project examines the mythos of famed war photographer Robert Capa and its influence on the photojournalistic canon. Using Barthes’ concept of ideological myth as a foundation, the project examines four sets of discourses about Capa: his own self-promotion, biographies, exhibition revie...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inCommunication, culture & critique Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 84 - 101
Main Authors Assaf, Christopher T, Bock, Mary Angela
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Oxford University Press 15.02.2022
Subjects
textual analysis
photojournalism
myth
masculinity
war journalism
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Summary:Abstract This project examines the mythos of famed war photographer Robert Capa and its influence on the photojournalistic canon. Using Barthes’ concept of ideological myth as a foundation, the project examines four sets of discourses about Capa: his own self-promotion, biographies, exhibition reviews, and photojournalistic textbooks. The analysis suggests that the Capa myth is characterized by hegemonic masculinity, emphasizing risk-taking, strength and courage, in ways that may occlude the famed photographer’s humanity. The corpus chosen for this project enabled an ideological analysis and critique of the way the Capa myth permeates the field’s indoctrination. The project finds that the mythic portrait of Capa has had considerable influence on photojournalistic education but may no longer serve the larger field.
ISSN:1753-9129
1753-9137
DOI:10.1093/ccc/tcab049