How Photos Affect the Way We Think
When mass murders take place they will undoubtedly seize the front page, but have you considered the way images can frame your perception of the story?
Photos paired with news stories, particularly ones depicting the perpetrators of mass killings, have the ability to subconsciously shape the way we perceive the killer. The quiz below uses pictures that makes the shooter seem humane; but in many cases news stories covering the same event will choose an image that presents the perpetrator in a negative light. This seemingly simple decision of selecting what type of photo to publish with a story can have a great impact on the way in which a reader will remember the facts.
In the current era of fake news and misleading stories, it is more important than ever to be aware of how not only photos, but also things like headlines can be used to influence the audience’s perception of the events, even before reading the facts.
Continued Reading:
Why First Impressions Really Do Matter:
How Images Effect Our Perception and Memory of a Story:
Columbine Shooting:
UT Tower Shooting:
Virginia Tech Shooting:
Norway Shooting:
Navy Yard Shooting:
Orlando Nightclub Shooting:
References:
Quiz Question 1: Dylan Klebold/Columbine
Image 1: No Attribution Required: https://pxhere.com/en/photo/952996
Image 2: Chris Devers. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/cdevers/2810575996
Image 3: Victoria Cavaliere (AP Photo). Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/mother-columbine-shooter-prayed-suicide-article-1.1203743
Image 4: No Attribution Required: https://pixabay.com/en/young-man-teenager-young-male-man-1990618/
Quiz Question 2: Charles Whitman/UT Tower Shooting
Image 1: No Attribution Required: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=41364&picture=my-father-vintage-portrait
Image 2: Anonymous (AP Photo), NBC News: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/beginning-era-1966-university-texas-clock-tower-shooting-n620556
Image 3: Tony Atler, Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/78428166@N00/4322633777
Image 4: Tony Atler, Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/78428166@N00/3811992801/in/photostream/
Quiz Question 3: Seung Hui-Cho/Virginia Tech Massacre
Image 1: No Attribution Required: https://pixnio.com/people/male-men/asian-man-face
Image 2: No Attribution Required: https://pixabay.com/en/photos/asian%20people/
Image 3: Anonymous (AP Photo/NBC), LA Times: http://timelines.latimes.com/deadliest-shooting-rampages/
Image 4: No Attribution Required: https://pixabay.com/en/male-portrait-asian-1799723/ .
Quiz Question 4: Anders Behring Breivik/Norway Killer
Image 1: No Attribution Required: https://pixabay.com/en/handsome-person-male-happy-people-1261893/
Image 2: Richter Frank-Jurgen, Flickr, (cropped): https://www.flickr.com/photos/horasis/4744807271/in/set-72157624383022270/#/
Image 3: Richter Frank-Jurgen, Wikimedia Commons, (cropped): https://www.flickr.com/photos/50021861@N06/4745447264
Image 4: Anonymous, Indian Express: http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/for-killing-77-people-norways-breivik-gets-21-years-in-jail/992636/
Quiz Question 5: Aaron Alexis/Navy Yard Shooting
Image 1: Associated Press, Politico: http://www.politico.com/news/aaron-alexis
Image 2: Public Record: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Luther_Campbell.jpg
Image 3: No Attribution Required: https://pixabay.com/en/photos/african%20man/
Image 4: Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dustin_Brown_(tennis)#/media/File:Dustin_Brown_14,_2015_Wimbledon_Qualifying_-_Diliff.jpg
Quiz Question 6: Omar Mateen/Orlando Night Club
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:German_Venezuelan_Family.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BenToddJealousFamily.jpg
