Recent reporting has suggested that an unnamed photo editor from a “major news outlet” thinks the famous photo of former President Donald Trump raising his fist after being shot shouldn’t continue to be published. This editor fears it could act as “free PR” for Trump. This editor is wrong, as the image is an example of photography at its best and should be disseminated, as is the media’s responsibility.
The photograph depicts Trump raising his fist in defiance after being nearly assassinated. Blood runs down his face from a gunshot wound while the American flag flies perfectly in frame behind him. It is a stunning image that instantly captivated the public, being shared online and between friends within hours of the shooting.
Why did this picture immediately capture the American imagination? This image became so popular because it captured a part of Trump that many of us didn’t fully realize: his defiance and genuine physical courage.
The experienced campaign photographer Dan Habib once said about pictures of candidates, “Photography can show you what they’re like at their most honest and unvarnished moments, and it’s important for voters to see that.” There was no teleprompter or focus group-tested political ploy at the moment Trump raised his fist after being shot. Just as Habib said, the photograph showed Trump at his “most honest and unvarnished,” and many people liked what they saw.
It is the responsibility of the news media to honestly communicate events of public interest to the public. This photograph of Trump standing defiant is honest because it captures what it was like to be there when he pumped his fist in the air. You only need to watch the video to understand that the photograph depicts the moment after the assassination attempt better than any essay could. The power of the photograph comes from its honesty.
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To censor this photograph from the public would be a failure by the media to do their duty. It is not the responsibility of photographers or editors to manage their consumers’ reactions to media or hide truths because they are politically inconvenient. The very fact that this photograph is so unsettling to the unnamed photo editor is a testament to its potency, honesty, and need to be published.
If the photograph convinces viewers to vote for Trump, well, maybe he just deserves their votes. It’s not up to photo editors to decide for them.