Out of Context Images

Via Huffington Post

A photo is supposed to deliver the truth, unmarred by the sometimes-biased nature of language, to the viewer without fear or favor, right? Barring downright photo editing, which we’ve covered, photos can’t have an opinion, as such.

Not always.

With photos, just like with the words that make up language, context is key. So many cues can be pulled from the surrounding landscape (whether it be words or pictures) that the singularity of moment that may be a word or a snapshot is actually a part of a greater whole. To take an image out of context not only ruins the original message, but outs the communicator as biased.

Politicians are very fond of exclaiming that their words were taken out of context by the media (and sometimes they’re right) but do we often think about the images taken out of context?

This is a photo of Sarah Palin on the cover of Newsweek. Shortly after its publication, both the Internet and traditional news outlets exploded in a flurry of discussion. Was the pin-up girl nature of the photo sexist? How could she have agreed to pose/dress/etc in such a way?

Via Mediaite

The answer? Palin claimed the photo was taken out of context, and indeed the photo that was on the Newsweek cover had been taken for an issue of Runners World, where the athletic attire would have been much more appropriate. Newsweek’s motives, whether just ascribing to the belief that sex sells, or as an outright attempt to discredit instantly come into question and undermines their power as a news source.

Via Mediaite

The Republicans can’t have all the fun, though, can they? This image of Barack Obama circulates through various websites, culled from Getty Images and showing the President waving and blocking another man’s face during a photo op. This photo was real, but was taken from one of three shooters attending the event, when countless pictures were taken from the group. To select the one where he happens to be waving is not indicative of the truth of the scenario.

Via LGBTQ Nation

National Organization for Marriage even took theirs with a side of irony, as they stole a photo from a Barack Obama rally to pass off as their own on an anti-gay marriage website New Hampshire for Marriage.

I could go on, but there isn’t a whole lot to say about the individual images themselves. They all boil down to the same premise, really. Not only does the media hurt the individual they are attempting to discredit, but themselves with the same stroke. They may get their spurious ‘point’ across, but at the cost of a trusting audience in the long run. A lie of omission is still a lie, and to withhold information from the public can do nothing but harm a publication’s reputation.

This is not just something that impacts media professionals, but the public, too. Next time you see Michelle Bachmann looking glassy eyed on the cover of Newsweek, think about the subtext that photo editor had in mind when they chose the image.