Religion and Image: A Visual Analysis of Three Decades of Azan Images on Television

Abstract

In the present era, one of the questions in the field of religion and media is whether religion of Islam which is based upon speech and word can establish relationship with media like Television that has visual nature? This article aimed to evaluate the existing experience by reviewing theoretical literature and focusing on what has been televised in the field of religious programs during three decades. Therefore, among the religious programs, azan programs which rely on the "speech", have been selected and seeks answer the question how images that were shown along with Azan during three decades have changed? The methodology of this study is semiotic which was accessed by emphasizing 5 items:’ Clothing, age and sex’, ‘Visual compositions’, ‘movement’, ‘color and light’ , ‘narration’. The method of selecting the sample was random and selecting 3 azan from the three decades of 60, 70 and 80.These set of findings show that set of images accompanied with Azan has been upgraded during 3 decades and it has been tried through more image motion, using narrative, variety of visual combination, better use of color, light and non-verbal signs the presented images be more compatible with visual nature of Television. During three decades, Azan collection has undergone several changes in terms of image with which it plays and this indicates that Azan has fixed content and can be accompanied by variety of images and so different religious meanings can be associated.

Keywords

• religion
• image
• television
• azan