In the contemporary digital era, the prevalence of manipulated images in newspapers, magazines, and online news platforms highlights the importance of verifying the authenticity of photographs. Often, images are altered to serve specific purposes, and as viewers, we often lack the curiosity or motivation to verify their truthfulness. Consequently, we can unwittingly contribute to perpetuating false narratives.
Recently, I enrolled in a course on Coursera titled "Film, Images & Historical Interpretation in the 20th Century: The Camera Never Lies." During the first week, Emmett Sullivan introduced us to the various ways in which pictures can be manipulated for political and advertising purposes, among others. The course primarily focuses on examples of picture manipulation from the 20th century. However, in the 21st century, with the rise of the digital world and the advent of advanced AI tools, the manipulation of images and information has become even more prevalent. These AI tools can now alter not only images but also videos, raising concerns about authenticity. The course provided several examples illustrating these issues. Let’s see those examples:
In this picture is of a family running away from syria. In the original image, there is no visible damage behind the family but the dramatic effect, it was easiest to to convey by putting in a bombed out background with a family.
This picture is of the aftermath of an Israeli War attack on London-2006. In the first image additional black smoke has been added to make the image more dramatic and severe.
This Picture is of 2011 Spanish Sports Newspaper the second image is digitally altered. As you can see in the second image, the defender is removed from the reportage of a match thus it appears that no offside had taken place.
This picture is of the State run Egyptian newspaper where president Mubarak is walking with Israeli leaders. This image was edited where Mubarak is the head of the posses to show his leadership.
The Role of Advertisement also plays a vital role in altering images to make a certain impact and attract others.
This is a 2005 image. Clement Hurd, the illustrator of the Children’s Classic book ‘Goodnight Moon’ had in the previous couple of decades been pictured on the back of the cover of the book holding a cigarette. In the new edition it was removed. This indicates how the concerns of people have been changed with the changing of time.
This is the 2007 Time Magazine ran article ‘How The Right Went Wrong’. This image displays fairly clearly Ronald Reagan, but digitally added was a Tear across his right cheek as if Reagan was lamenting after the event. ‘How The Right Went Wrong, so to speak.
A recent case that exemplifies photo manipulation is the Indian Wrestlers' Protest, where a photograph of female wrestlers was altered using AI and editing tools.
The original picture portrayed both women as serious and sad, but the manipulated version depicted them as smiling. Such manipulation demonstrates how photos can be used to serve political and other interests while spreading fake news.
In my interpretation, this course does not discourage the use of technical tools but rather emphasizes the need for clarity and fact-checking. It highlights the importance of always engaging in thorough fact-checking before believing in anything. With the advancement of AI and ultra-editing techniques, manipulating various forms of media, including pictures, has become increasingly effortless. Therefore, it is crucial to approach everything with a critical eye, verifying the information before accepting it as truth. While these resources can be valuable for documenting history, their credibility must be carefully assessed to avoid perpetuating inaccuracies or misinformation.
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