Are photos a truthful record or easily Photoshopped? This week we’ll examine the different ways images can be manipulated, as well as techniques for verifying that images actually show what they appear to show.
People tend to view the relationship between photography and truth in conflicting ways. One one hand, photography is seen as inherently truthful and objective because it literally shows a moment as it happened. On the other hand, most people are skeptical about how images can be Photoshopped and used to deceive.
Key ideas:
Related slides for reference
✓ What is one example of a photo manipulation from the pre-digital era that had an impact on public perception or belief?
🗨 In the “Lies, Damn Lies, and Viral Content” Tow Center report about viral misinformation, the author describes a particular fake but uplifting story as a “powerful wish rumor” with a “compelling image.” What does the author mean by this, and which example from the Image Manipulation lecture video might similarly be described as a “wish rumor”?
Not all image manipulation involves Photoshopping or darkroom techniques. How the photo is taken and how it’s shared later can also be misleading.
It is important for communication professionals to understand the different ways images can be manipulated, as well as the expectations of your audience. In research about media manipulation, researchers distinguish between misinformation and disinformation:
This video lecture includes examples of both:
Related slides for reference
✓ If someone knowingly shares an image with an incorrect caption to hurt a politician's reputation, is this misinformation or disinformation?
🗨 Media consumers tend to have different expectations for how much we believe certain types of photos. We know that fashion magazines tend to retouch photos, some influencers carefully stage their photos, etc. What are examples of common manipulations that you generally consider justifiable? How does that differ from other situations where a similar manipulation would not be acceptable?
Especially in a fast-paced communication environment, it can be overwhelming to know how to verify images and other information. A fantastic resource is the Verification Handbook, which is free online. In Chapter 4: Verifying Images, these steps are recommended for any images related to news events:
The updated version, Verification Handbook For Disinformation And Media Manipulation, includes a chapter on verifying images with a similar list adapted from a First Draft News guide:
If communication companies use images from reputable photo services such as Getty Images and the Associated Press, all this information is clearly included for subscribers. But oftentimes this information is missing when an image comes from social media, photo-sharing sites like Flickr, or especially if the original is not longer available.
Snopes.com is a reliable website for checking out misinformation and common hoaxes, especially the type that spread online. Many of the rumors Snopes investigates are related to images that are false, shared with incorrect captions, or misleading in other ways, as well as images that are in fact real and correctly contextualized.
🗨 Browse recent Snopes fact-checks and choose one example related to whether a photo is real or not. Why might people be uncertain about whether it’s real or fake? Did the answer surprise you or confirm what you guessed?