Media is only separated from reality after manipulation.

In this age of spectacle where appearance is highly valued, it’s no wonder that media images would be distorted. We strategically present ourselves in social media therefore it is no surprise that the things in our surroundings have become augmented as well. Tourism has staged authenticity, Advertisements have their beautiful packaging and even people have a few things about themselves that they try to hide in fear of ruining their all-important image.

The image below shows just how media can be manipulated to changes views on a situation. It is easy to deny the authenticity of any images, even more so these days with image editing software becoming more easily accessible.  

I believe that it is to a small extent that media images are detached from the external world. It is only because of people that the relationship between media images and the external reality seem to be two separate entities. The external reality is the bases for images that are separated into parts then warped and edited to be made into the media images. This is shown through the theory of agenda setting in journalism.  It is often forgotten that media images can only show a certain side to a story and it is far from the whole picture.

In my perspective, whether an image is real or simulated, it doesn’t matter. In some ways, media images may actually be more ‘real’ than reality as it shows another person’s perspective into a certain subject while in reality, though we can try to empathize with others, we can only imagine what they are truly thinking.

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Student name: Harina Rachel Anne Aristan