Image of Rhetoric

from http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/05/on-the-economists-cover-only-a-part-of-the-picture/

The picture on the left was the cover of a summer edition of the magazine the economist. The picture on the right is the actual photo taken used on the cover. So why did the economist decide to cut the other two people and Obama's knees out of the picture? Simple it was all part of their rhetoric. The real picture simply shows three people, together, staring at debris on the shore of the gulf. They appear to be contemplating,, brainstorming and working to fix the problem. The oil rig is simply a scenic image in the background, demanding little attention in the image. Without the shore and the two other people the artist completely changes the message for his or her audience.  The cover picture shows Obama alone with the  oil rig. In the new image the rig demands all the attention. It appears that the rig is the reason for Obama's lonely and defeated look. He no longer looks in deep thought but rather ashamed and broken. The message has turned from one of promise and potential progress to another of embarrassment. The audience is tricked into believing a completely different message from a little cropping and photoshopping to make a deceitful and power image.