ieth century, when most American families had a television in their home, the era of image communication took full root. Davis points out that in one way, television has returned society to a story-telling culture, but combined with the influence of images, is even more powerfully influential than at any other time in history.
What are images? Simply, images are pictures. In America, however, these images are tools used to evoke emotions that are intended to inform, persuade, and entertain. Davis argues that images work best when they are "emotionally saturated." For example, the American flag is an image that conjures powerful emotions because one might associate anything from the story of Francis Scott Key and the Star Spangled Banner to Vietnam War demonstrators burning the flag in protest (Davis, What Are Images? para.2).
Another writer at the Center for Media Literacy, Elizabeth Thoman, in her article, "Rise of the Image Culture: Re-Imagining the American Dream," recalls watching Industry on Parade on her family's television. She recalls a
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