Visuals

I’ve been following the tragic situation in Tibet with some interest as it unfolds. The largest demonstrations against the Chinese rule in decades have received a good deal of media attention, but it lacks a potency that other political upheavals have had. I think the reason for this is the lack of visuals coming out of Tibet.

Tiannanmen Square has been forever seared into the consciousness of millions because of the brave actions of that single protester, but just as important is the photographer who captured and disseminated his bravery.

In Ukraine a couple years ago, the so-called Orange Revolution was so highly regarded because it had good visuals. Orange colors. A mottled face of a poisoned politician. These are more important than faceless crowds demonstrating and the freedom of press in Ukraine allowed those images to spread.

More recenty, in Burma the uprising of the monks against the oppressive regimes was less successful because the government was more successful at limiting information’s free flow out.

Now, in Tibet, the sophisticated internet and press censors of China have been highly successful in blocking powerful images from escaping and finding wider audiences. Luckily, the only Western reporter in the area is from The Economist and they have published some photos of the damage.

I don’t think it is any coincidence that Ukraine experienced more change than Burma and that Tibet is most likely going to be forgotten soon.