Image as argument: The impact of Mogadishu on US military intervention

Visual images are extremely powerful, particularly in this media-saturated age of round-the-clock coverage. It is possible, in fact, that the United S tates' current emphasis on "zero casualty" missions is a response in part t o the power of the images from Mogadishu and a fear of a collapse in public support should similar images appear again. This article argues, however, that such a view misunderstands the way images influence public response, a ssuming that they can be read in only one way, and forgetting that all visu al images displayed by the news media are accompanied by words. The interpr etation of even powerful images is neither inevitable nor predetermined.