Images are much more effective than words. Not condoning it, mind you. The public often ends up with photojournalistic craft instead of substance. As with junk food, many of us eat it, it tastes okay, but we really don’t think too much about where it comes from, how the animals or potatoes were grown, what kinds of chemical additives provide the flavor to compensate for the tasteless raw materials. With imagery, don’t be lulled into a sense of indifference–those images before you have been massaged, market-tested, honed to produce a certain effect. And it has nothing to do with understanding current events, and much to do with keeping an audience connected, but not necessarily attentive or captivated. This goes for advertising, regular programming, newscasts, etc. The people doing the massaging understand differences in brains developmentally, differences in formal education levels, use of language, apprehension of symbols (even the news), use of color, etc.

Following is a brief tour through some of the photo-opportunistic highlights of the last two  White House Administrations. I’ll limit comments to where some context is needed. Below is the now-infamous (at the time immensely popular) ‘Mission Accomplished’ speech, where the president declared (in May 2003) an end to ‘major combat operations’ in Iraq.

The White House initially tried to say, after it was clear Iraqis weren’t greeting them with garlands as liberators, that the banner was not their idea, or didn’t refer to the Iraq mission, but later had to admit the whole affair was staged for the news and the American public. The trick here was getting the photos without showing San Diego and the coastline in the background. It started with the President landing on the USS Lincoln in a fighter jet–making it appear as though perhaps he’d done it (he hadn’t flown a jet since 1972) emerging from the cockpit in a flight suit:

Then came the speech, and the adulation of the masses, both on the USS Lincoln and around the country:

This was hardly the first time a leader had used imagery to appear larger-than-life:

Below is an image from Thanksgiving, where Pres. Bush made a surprise appearance (No small or inexpensive feat for a US President):

This is the famous plastic turkey platter (the turkey the troops were served was processed and cut). When he gave speeches about the war, no detail was spared:

The President was wearing a special jacket for this one, so that the presidential seal and ‘commander in chief’ would be visible on close-ups:

White House photographers make sure to get a shot of the seal, even if they sometimes miss the American Flag lapel pin (hope nobody got fired for that one):

When the Iraq War was flagging badly, even in the court of public opinion, a PR Prof from North Carolina was hired to come up with the ‘Plan for Victory‘ brochure:

Policy on seniors, Medicare, Social Security? A picture’s worth a thousand press conferences:

And of course we know all doctors walk around and attend speeches in their lab coats (this speech was for ‘malpractice reform,’ shorthand for caps on damages from lawsuits)

Of course, the Obama Administration would never ask doctors to wear white coats to a speech (they all got together and decided to surprise him!):

For a while, Pres. Bush was being called the environment president (we’ve come a long way)

That backdrop was made for the ‘Clear Skies‘ campaign. This–perhaps the most ambitious photo opportunity every attempted–was for a speech on the National Parks (backdrop courtesy of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln):

Of course, Trump had to try it, and showed great self-restraint by not covering up those other four presidents up there:

Trump not only mastered the human wallpaper effect, his team provided a smorgasborg of signs.

The following came out after a week in which President Bush’s ‘business-like’ approach to the White House (meetings starting, ending on time) was fed to reporters:

Pres. Obama found a different Lincoln portrait for his photo-op (less ‘on-time,’ more contemplative):

Trump replaced Lincoln with Andrew Jackson (a dogwhistle to his white base of support):

The Obama Administration also thought it would be a good idea to fly low over Manhattan and take some pictures.

That wasn’t theirs–you kidding? Without the camera above to capture Lady Liberty??

Touché, President Obama: Lady Liberty without terrorizing the residents of Manhattan with low-flying aircraft (and flag lapel pin? Pres(id)ent and accounted for!):

And this last one? It’s so messed up with mixed messages, even giant check font-sizes, where to begin??