An editor at a major news outlet wants the press to stop using the iconic photo of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, saying it’s “free PR” for his campaign.
The anonymous editor told Axios that sharing the historic photo of the former president who survived the assassination attempt is “dangerous, no matter how good the photo.”
Left-leaning Axios reported that several anonymous photographers had told them they were concerned the photo of Pulitzer winner Evan Fucci could turn into “‘photoganda’ by the Trump campaign to ‘advance their agenda, despite the fact that the photographers only wanted to document a news event.’
One photographer said the photo could become a “propaganda machine” and turn Trump into a “martyr.”
An editor at a major news outlet wants the press to stop using the iconic photo of the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, saying it represents “free PR” for his campaign
The photo of a bloodied Donald Trump with his fist in the air and an American flag in the background is quickly emerging as the central image of Saturday’s shooting.
Video footage of the attempted assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania filled television screens before it was clear what had happened.
Still, the work of Evan Vucci of The Associated Press, Anna Moneymaker of Getty and Doug Mills of The New York Times, whose photos show apparent evidence of a bullet whizzing past Trump’s head, proves how valuable photography can be in a world driven by a flood of moving images.
The left-leaning party Axios reported that several anonymous photographers told them they were concerned that the photo of Pulitzer winner Evan Fucci (pictured) could become “photoganda”
Trump clutched his right ear as the first shots rang out at 6:12 p.m.
Vucci’s photo, one of several he took Saturday, could also have political implications from many directions, as indelible images often do in the days and years after earthquakes.
“Without a doubt, Evans’ photo will become the definitive photo of the (assassination) attempt,” Patrick Witty, a former photo editor at Time, The New York Times and National Geographic, told the Associated Press.
“It captures a range of complex details and emotions in a single still image: the defiantly raised fist, the blood, the officers trying to push Trump off the stage, and most importantly, the flag. That’s what elevates the photo.”
Authorities are still trying to figure out how 20-year-old Thomas Crooks nearly shot Trump in the head.
Police snipers returned fire after shots were fired while Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump spoke at the campaign event
So far, there has been no public announcement that the shooter left behind written comments, a suicide note, a social media post or other evidence that might indicate why he targeted Trump.
A law enforcement official with knowledge of the ongoing investigation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that Crooks’ phone had not yet yielded any meaningful clues about motive or whether he acted alone or with others.
Crooks’ political leanings were also vague. Crooks was registered as a Republican in Pennsylvania, but federal campaign finance reports also show that he gave $15 to a progressive political action committee on Jan. 20, 2021, the day Democratic President Joe Biden was sworn in.