No matter what you think of who did what to whom in the SNC-Lavalin scandal, it’s an interesting opportunity to consider an unacknowledged, serious flaw of journalism: the editorial photo. Unlike the editorial cartoon, a drawing which contains an image expressing the artist’s (and the newspaper’s) opinion, the editorial photo is the picture chosen to accompany a supposedly unbiased article. There should be no ‘editorial’ in it, but there is. Look at these photos in recent articles in the Globe and Mail and the New York Times about SNC-Lavalin:
At top in the Gray Lady New York Times is the ‘there, that’s all fixed’ photo from the end of Trudeau’s statement yesterday. The second Globe and Mail pic is from the same day, but it is a more contemplative and unrelated photo that says, ‘I remember sunny days.’ The third is a composite of Wilson-Raybould, the chief accuser in the scandal, looking accusatory, with Gerald Butts on the right, wearing the impassive look your dad has when you explain why it was necessary to take the car without asking. In the middle is Trudeau looking all ‘why-should-I-sell-your-wheat.’ Last is the photograph of Trudeau in the article about him ‘seeking advice’ about the crisis: seated, head bowed, the picture of contrition.
You may agree with any of my descriptions or none of them: my point is that the photos are subjective and that by choosing one over another photo editors make editorial decisions daily in the areas of media that are supposed to be strictly reportage.
Lastly, a personal confession: I must say this is a more eye-pleasing exercise to do using Justin Trudeau’s photographs than just about anybody else.