The impact of color on emotional responses to newspaper photographs

ewspaper layout and design have recently become the focus of scholarly attention (Barnhurst, 1994), but still very little research has been done on the effects of newspapers' formal elements (Middlestadt & Barnhurst, 1999). In particular, the impact of one seemingly important formal characteristic, color, has not been thoroughly assessed (Garcia & Stark, ; '• 1991). Despite the lack of systematic inquiries into its influ\ ence, the use of color in newspapers has grown steadily over £ • s the past decade. Technological advancements and falling costs allow even small community papers to run news photographs in color on a regular basis. The use of color in newspapers seems to be motivated, in part, by the fear of appearing outdated or unsophisticated if color is not used. Though general guidelines for the aesthetic use of color exist (Garcia, 1987), very few empirical studies have been done on the impact of color in newspapers. Furthermore, a number of these studies present contradictory findings, so a clear pattern of color's influence has yet to emerge. The present study aims to help clarify the nature of color's emotional significance, if there is any, in newspaper photographs.