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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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sanchit-mit2006 avatar
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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#6

Soldiers Playing With Kids

Soldiers Playing With Kids

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

The first looks more like, "Boy you're bout to get a paddlin" The second reveals that the reason he is cowering is because he's trying not get hit by the ball.

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

The first one didn't seem threatening to me, like, the soldier is really relaxed and he has what looks like a ping-pong paddle, for f**k's sake. Not exactly something a solider would try to hurt someone with.

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

One picture shows a child frightened by a soldier the other shows a soldiier playing with happy children. Whoever publishes those pictures has a duty to say what the truth is or be labelled a liar.

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

No photos of UN soldiers violating children and woman. However, they do. One person playing one moment with children, posing for a photo, doesn't make them good people.

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

I don't think the kid looks scared .. his body language does suggest he's trying to stay out the way but necessarily because he's scared. This is not a threatening photo at all, just simply playing.

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

Israeli soldier, and yes, Palestinians always faking news......

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

People around the world need to see all of this and realize that not everything they see about America is TRUE!!!!

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

Yes both pictures are fine but it's about the truth and the truth always prevails.

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

It makes it look as though the kid in blue is "cowering" and by himself when in reality he's just trying to stay out of the way.

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

I doubt that the first picture was used by any media outlet. It looks like the second picture was cropped by someone just trying to show how we can jump to conclusions by not seeing the whole picture.

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

What’s the media organization that only showed the top photo??

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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
Community Member
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
Community Member
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
Community Member
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
Community Member
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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#11

Hillary Clinton Event In Ohio

Hillary Clinton Event In Ohio

edhenry Report