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The traditional TV news media has been having a rough time in the last few years. According to a recent survey, more Americans have a negative (43%) than a positive (33%) view of the mass media, and are finding it harder to be well informed because it is getting harder to determine which news is accurate.

So what is media's biggest problem? It's bigotry. While ideally all types of media should be objective and hold power to account, in reality, we know that most news outlets are partisan and have their agenda to advance. Whether state-owned or run by some shady tax-avoiding billionaire, getting 'the masses' to view the world from a certain perspective has always been a priceless power to wield.

So why is trust in the media so low? Well, according to the same survey, 8 out of 10 Americans believe that the news media are critical to their democracy. The gap between these lofty expectations of an honest, objective media and the performance that they deliver is large. Times, when the mask slips and examples of media manipulation are exposed, is hugely damaging to trust (don't even get me started on the 2003 Iraq war), and people naturally turn to social media for other, even-easier-to-manipulate sources. Thus we are in the current state in which we find ourselves: confused, mistrustful and divided.

People have been posting examples of fake news and how media can use different techniques of deception, to trick you into seeing exactly what they wanted you to see. As you will discover, perspective is everything! It all goes to show that a healthy dose of skepticism goes a long way, and getting your news from a wide range of different sources is your best bet to a more rounded view of the world we live in. Social media is good in that respect, but bad regarding regulation, trolling and people shouting horrible things at each other. The good old traditional news media is needed as a forum for rational debate and expert opinion, but they must stop with the manipulation already! Scroll down to check out the cheeky photo manipulations in action for yourself, and let us know what you think in the comments!

#1

Photo Taken When Kate Middleton And Prince William Presented Third Royal Baby To The World

Photo Taken When Kate Middleton And Prince William Presented Third Royal Baby To The World

Reuters/ Hannah Mckay Report

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Ladies and Gentlemen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't know if its odd, but i show number 3 by pinching the pinky finger down to thumb, not this way!

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#3

U.s. Marines From The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit Help An Iraqi Soldier With Water From A Canteen In Southern Iraq, March 21, 2003

U.s. Marines From The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit Help An Iraqi Soldier With Water From A Canteen In Southern Iraq, March 21, 2003

AP Report

#4

Presidential Inauguration Of Donald Trump

Presidential Inauguration Of Donald Trump

Indi_Comments Report

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Ruth Hempsey
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He's waving at the camera and reporters because there aren't any other people except security.

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#5

Hillary Rally In Omaha

Hillary Rally In Omaha

abbydphillip Report

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Elle Campbell
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's more than 50 people. And it's still more than the "Yuge crowds" of legitimate(unpaid) tRump supporters that show up for his rallies.

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#7

Conservative Leader Theresa May Launches The Party's Campaign Bus In Northumberland

Conservative Leader Theresa May Launches The Party's Campaign Bus In Northumberland

Stefan Rousseau/PA Archive/PA Images Report

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diz_1 avatar
Laugh Fan
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Think I'm going to assume this is done for most of these types of events!

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#8

Photographer Ruben Salvadori Covered The Conflict Between Israeli Soldiers And Palestinian Youths. The Picture Above Was Staged In Cooperation With A Young Palestinian

Photographer Ruben Salvadori Covered The Conflict Between Israeli Soldiers And Palestinian Youths. The Picture Above Was Staged In Cooperation With A Young Palestinian

Ruben Salvadori Report

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Kjorn
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

never trust BOTH sides… Israeli and palestinian use disinformation.

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#9

Pro-Immigration Protest

Pro-Immigration Protest

TrumpOrTreason Report

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Paul O'Connor
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because it was demonstration ILLUSTRATING child detention, not purporting to actually show it. Hence the kids in the cages are holding protest signs. Someone took it and made a meme, which is why THAT photo is on a page talking about how pictures can lie. But yeah, kids were still put behind bars for real elsewhere.

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#10

Tax Protest In Paris

Tax Protest In Paris

civsnet Report

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VoxyMan
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Many of these examples are what photographers are SUPPOSED to do, it's not fake news.

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See Also on Bored Panda
#11

Hillary Clinton Event In Ohio

Hillary Clinton Event In Ohio

edhenry Report

#12

Example Of How The Media Can Manipulate Us

Example Of How The Media Can Manipulate Us

PainMagnetGaming Report

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Magpie
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It is really hard to *not* anthropomorphize* / assume that an expression on an animal's face = the same thing that expression would mean if we make it. To me I see those ears being scrunched and held tightly, and that looks painful to me. Also I am not sure if pigs' legs are meant to go at that angle, so I worry about if that is painful also.... that expression could be a grimace of pain.

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Linda Van Maanen
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What am I supposed to see here except two guys thinking it's ok to pull a pig by its ears?

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Sonya Jersey
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But that pig's face though.. Priceless! I mean, THAT SMIIILEE! I love pigs

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Cherry Warr
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

am I the only one that thinks that pig's expression is kinda weird??

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Donna O
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Anyone know what was actually going on here? Was the pig being saved or....?

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Ann McNeil
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The gun is not pointing at the pig- it's over the soldier's right arm, and he's walking towards the camera- the gun isn't even in line with the pig- the soldier is ahead of it.

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Space Nurd
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To the people who don't understand, The first picture shows them saving the pig, but if you zoom out, someone's pointing a gun at it.

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Master Markus
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But WHY is someone pointing a gun at it? Is it just someone holding a gun that's vaguely pointed in that direction?

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Kathy Davis
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have no earthly clue what is going on in any part of this photo, no matter how I look at it. I feel puzzled.

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Jon Smythe
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How BORED PANDA Manipulates you. I tracked down #12. I found a story in The Telegraph that showed the ENTIRE PICTURE. THERE IS NO GUN! And why would you hold a pig at gunpoint anyway? Are we supposed to believe they're going to shoot it in knee-deep water? Who are they? Which media ran this clipped image? Panda doesn't say. Instead of a GUN, the entire photo shows someone off to the right holding an UMBRELLA. It's "south west China’s Sichuan Province." in 2017. You can google the 2017 China floods for more details on how bad it was. A lot of people photoshopped that picture. There's a giraffe version and a Donald Trump version among others. Someone did joke on Weibo that they just really wanted to eat the pig. "Happy Pig Rescued From Flood Sparks Epic Photoshop Battle" - Unilad "Smiling pig sparks Photoshop battle after being rescued from floods" - MetroUK Even the Daily Mail ran with the original picture WITHOUT ANY GUN!

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Dale-Anne Driediger LaLiberte
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This little piggy is so adorable. I do not know what the point in this photo other than showing someone is trying to save the little porker from drowning. Enlighten me if you can thank you

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Michelle Line
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In all three I see people trying to save a pig. And the two with a gun doesn't show the gun being pointed at the pig.

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Theo Groenevelt
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Regardless of whethr these are TRULY Misleading or not, the fact reamins the MSM Legacy Media is Biased....Big time to the Left and will do what it can to disparge conservatives every chance it gets. PERIOD.

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Meowton Mewsk
Community Member
5 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why would it matter to most people if someone had a gun to a pigs head anyway?

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Kent Grigsby
Community Member
5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oddly enough they got the numbers and pictures right on for trump's inauguration speech

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