I think we all imagined the summer of 2020 a lot different than how it turned out to be. Unfortunately, we had (and still have) to deal with the coronavirus. Since the coronavirus is in our country, we have to wash our hands more, keep distance and we have to avoid a busy place. However, it was a summer with such good weather and we all wanted to have some relaxation time on the beach. But then I think about different news sites that published articles such as ‘Do not visit the beach, it is too busy’. In the articles, you can see different photos of beaches where it seems busy. But is this the case? Or are they misleading people?
Let me start with an interesting research I read about misleading visuals. This research states that charts, graphs, maps and diagrams do not lie. People who design graphics do. In this article, it is not about misleading visuals but about photographs. However, I am convinced that people who take photographs also lie. And who do I think that? We’ll let me explain.
Framing in photographs
There are several studies that showed the selectivity and framing in photographs in the mainstream press, especially on war imagery. But what do we mean by framing in photographs? The framing concept in the context of visual analysis can be seen as ‘the selection and emphasis of some aspects of the perceived reality by visual stimuli’. The qualities that photographs have such as iconicity and syntactic implicitness creates them a very effective framing tool. Another important aspect is that people trust photographs. People have so much trust in photographs that they actually place more weight on information that goes along with a photograph and statement, even where there is not proof of that statement. People are more likely to think that the statement is true because of the photograph. This is also because compared to verbal contents, people process photographs more quickly than words alone.
Compositional qualities of the picture
The photographer that makes the photo for a news article is an important aspect of the process. The photographer is the one that decides how to take the photo. This can create a whole different story than what could actually be the case. Framing in this sense applies to the compositional qualities of the image. Choices in the photograph such as camera angle, focus, and distance cannot be seen by the reader or viewer when making judgments in relation to the figures depicted. For example, the photographer could use a long lens. By using this lens it makes the elements closer together than they are. You can see it in the example below. On the left side, the picture is more zoomed in, and it looks way more crowded than on the right side of the picture, which is not zoomed in.
In practice, this means that people get to see a different perspective than what is actually the case. Moreover, news photographs are the first element that catches the readers’ attention on a news page. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the fact that this could happen in new articles. An example is the article below. The photo that is included in the photograph looks also more zoomed in. Although the photographer has an impact on the compositional qualities, the news site is the one that actually publishes the articles.
The Dutch website RTL Nieuws published an article about this phenomenon and states the following: ‘It is a myth that photography is objective’. The editor Freek Staps from the ANP news agency emphasizes that they always offer photographs with different perspectives. In this way, they want to show the whole situation. ‘You can portray it in different ways, but it is still the real situation’. Staps also emphasizes that the choice of the picture is up to the medium that is using the photos. Another photograph says that the newspaper or news website wants to have a photo that looks beautiful or exciting. The Dutch website received already some critique from people that thought they used fake photos. After that incident the website states that they need to be more critical about the choice of photo. They admit that they tend to choose the photo with an angle that has the most impact.
Responsible
Personally I think that both parties are responsible for misleading people with photographs by news articles. The photographer has different techniques that could influence the end result of the picture. However, the newssite is the actual source and the platform that publishes the article with the photograph. But what do you think about this topic? I would like you to discuss the following statement in the comments:
Who do you think is more responsible for the choice of the picture in the news? The photographer? Or the news website that is using the pictures?
References
Cairo, A. (2015). Graphics lies, misleading visuals: Reflections on the challenges and pitfalls of evidence-driven visual communication. In D. Bihanic (Ed.), New challenges for data design (pp. 103-116). Springer-Verlag, London.
Caple, H., & Bednarek, M. (2016). Rethinking news values: What a discursive approach can tell us about the construction of news discourse and news photography. Journalism, 17(4), 435–455. https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884914568078
In de Buurt (2020). Daarom lijkt het op strand soms drukker dan het werkelijk is. Retrieved from https://indebuurt.nl/denhaag/genieten-van/mysteries/daarom-lijkt-het-op-het-strand-soms-drukker-dan-het-werkelijk-is~130934/
Parry, K. (2010). A visual framing analysis of British press photography during the 2006 Israel- Lebanon conflict. Media, War & Conflict, 3(1), 67–85. https://doi.org/10.1177/1750635210353679
RTL nieuws (2020). Mensenmassa’s op de foto? ‘Het is een mythe dat fotografie objectief is’. Retrieved from https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/nieuws/nederland/artikel/5133741/fotografie-drukte-telelens-voor-de-gek-perspectief-inzoomen-lens
Wade, K., Green, S. L. & Nash, R. A. (2009) Can fabricated evidence induce false eyewitness testimony? Applied cognitive psychology , 24, (7), 899-1047, https://doi-org.tilburguniversity.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/acp.1607
Zhang X, Hellmueller L. (2017) Visual framing of the European refugee crisis in Der speigel and CNN International: Global journalism in news photographs. International Communication Gazette. 79, (5), 483-510. doi: 10.1177/1748048516688134
Marise van Straalen 