Viewers of the Time cover could assume that the toddler was separated from her mother while being detained at the U.S. border. Given that this was not the case, should Time have run the cover with the photo illustration featuring this child?
First and foremost, what is fake news? According to Cathie Leblanc, the most relevant definition of fake news in relation to the Time magazine situation is “content that is created for the purpose of influencing public opinion. The misinformation might be mixed with true stories or stories that have been sensationalized” (LeBlanc, 2017) Fake news has grown at an unprecedented rate in the past five years. We have seen many local and national news sites use fake news to sway public opinion to one side. At the same time, international forces spread fake news “bots” on social media to meddle in our democratic process and spread misinformation.
We now understand what fake news is and how it is affecting our daily lives, so the question is, should Time magazine have published that image?
No, In my opinion, this picture should never have been released, but why? Before I answer this question, let me discuss perspectives. Somewhere in the world, more specifically in the west, and more conservative states, someone is most likely writing a similar article to the Case Study: Does the Photo Fit the News? By Professor Sharon Lauricella, but from a different point of view. The title of that article could be Does the Lie Fit the Agenda? In our world, fake news has numbed us to lies, to the point that even the most trusted and reputable news sources have begun to engage in the act. I believe the quote by Elena Ferrante is most relevant in this situation as she says, “you have to get your hands dirty if you want to change things.” In this case, Time magazine has its heart in the right place by caring and thinking of the multitudes who face separation every day but are trying to solve this problem in the worst possible way, by lying. So should Time have run that cover? No, not this TIME.
Reference List
Lauricella, S. (2018). Does the photo fit the news? The ethics of powerful images in the immigration debate. Media Ethics, 30(1). https://www.mediaethicsmagazine.com/index.php/browse-back-issues/210-fall-2018-vol/3999232-does-the-photo-fit-the-news
LeBlanc, C. (2017). What is “fake news”? In Fake news and what to do about it. Pressbooks. https://fakenews.pressbooks.com/chapter/what-is-fake-news/
