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Journalism / Mass Communication QUESTION #6372
Question 1
George Eastman introduced roll film and the Kodak box camera in which year, and why was this development significant for journalism?
  • 1860 — it introduced the first daguerreotype photography process
  • 1888 — it made photography accessible to the general public and simplified photojournalism by enabling faster, more portable image capture✔️
  • 1925 — it introduced the 35mm format that became standard for press photography
  • 1935 — it introduced colour film for journalistic use
Correct Answer Explanation

George Eastman introduced roll film and the simple Kodak box camera in 1888. This was revolutionary for several reasons:

  • Before Eastman's roll film, photography required heavy glass plates, complex chemical baths, and specialist knowledge — making it impractical for rapid journalistic work
  • The Kodak camera was simple enough for anyone to use (“You press the button, we do the rest” was Eastman's slogan), democratising photography
  • Roll film was lighter and easier to load than glass plates, making field photography faster and more mobile
  • This, combined with the halftone process (1881) and smaller cameras like the 35mm Leica (first marketed 1925), created the conditions for modern photojournalism

The photojournalist tradition — using shocking or revealing images to change public opinion and drive legislation — was enabled directly by these technological advances.