Lying Photographs

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

There was a time, somewhere in the middle of the last century, when a photograph could generally be relied upon to tell a truthful story, but today with photoshopping software and artificial intelligence programs, a person viewing a photograph should almost begin with the assumption that it has been altered in some way, perhaps to change the narrative of the story the photo is attempting to convey, or  to make a change to someone's appearance out of vanity or spite.   A politician whose picture is snapped leaving church on Sunday morning might show up on a social media post thirty minutes later as several pounds heavier with less hair and stepping out of a seedy motel room.

As one example, this week Mike Braun, the GOP candidate for governor of Indiana, released a television campaign ad which featured a photo of his Democratic opponent, Jennifer McCormick, standing in front of a small group of well dressed, nice looking individuals who were all holding signs   that said "No Gas Stoves."    In original photo the signs had all been McCormick campaign posters with no mention of gas stoves.

The wily GOP candidate, or his wily campaign staff, had placed an appropriate disclaimer in small lettering on their commercial that read:  "Paid for by Mike Braun for Indiana.  Approved by Mike Braun.  Elements of this media have been digitally altered or artificially generated."  But, when the ad was initially sent out to television stations, it arrived without that disclaimer - and it was intentionally and grossly misleading even with the disclaimer.

Jennifer McCormick, the Democrat running for governor of Indiana, had this to say on X (Twitter):

"Yes, I've seen the ad.  No, I don't care what type of stove you use.  I am focusing on real issues like women's reproductive freedoms, education and good paying jobs.  My opponent is apparently focused on stoves."

Ouch!

Altering the actual photo such as what the Braun campaign did is one way to tell a false narrative with a photograph, another is actually photographing something which is not true.  That is the approach that was used by Derrick Anderson, a Republican congressional candidate in Virginia, who "borrowed" the wife and three young daughters of a friend to appear with him in a campaign photo that was posted to the National Republican Campaign Committee's website and also appeared in a campaign video on YouTube.   The photo, which is widely available across the internet, was described by one national news source as something that "could be mistaken for a family holiday card."

Anderson, an anti-abortion candidate who is a former Army Green Beret, is currently engaged but has no children.  However, someone coming across the photo of him with his friend's wife and children might come away with the wrong impression as to his family status.  The photo wasn't altered, but the reality was.

This week there have also been photos highlighted in social media which show Donald Trump on the golf course appearing to be heavier than he actually is, pictures of a far more lean and fit Trump than he actually is, and an altered photo of Trump running mate JD Vance posted on X (Twitter) by Republican Congressman Mike Collins of Georgia which  showed Vance with a trimmer body and a chiseled jaw that, as one tweeter observed, "could puncture a hole in the hood of a Pontiac Firebird!"

The lesson here is to view and evaluate photographs as critically as you would public statements  because both could be lies.  What you hear and see may be someone else's interpretation or arrangement of reality, or it may just be blatant falsehood.  If something seems to lack the ring of truth, get out and do some basic research before repeating it as fact.

Or repeat the lie and luxuriate in the swill of ignorance.

Or delete.