Nicole's Editorials

Things aren't always as they Appear

I guess you could say that I'm a pretty trusting person, sometimes to the point of gullible. People tell me stories all of the time, sometimes far fetched, and if they have any ounce of truth to them, I'll take their word for what it's worth, and I'll believe them. So, I did take the journalist's word for it when his article said that this was a photo I didn't want to see. The photograph (seen in any of the links) shows five young people sitting at the river's edge, seemingly unaffected by the World Trade Center in the background in flames. In his New York Times column, Frank Rich describes the picture as such. "This is a country that likes to move on, and fast. The young people in Mr. Hoepker's photo aren't necessarily callous. They're just American." I wasn't really sure how to take this comment, but not really looking any further, accepted it, and continued my newsgator perusal.

The next day, I found a new posting on Slate.com, by Dave Plotz, saying that Rich's interpretation was wrong. I didn't really know who to believe at this point, although I really wanted to believe Plotz. I really didn't want to make a decision. I wanted to hear from someone in the picture. Did they really not care?! Plotz's plea for someone in the picture to respond became reality.

One of the men in the picture did respond, saying, "It's me in that 9/11 Photo." The young person, who actually happens to be 40, had come down to the river bank and was in deep discussion with his girlfriend and a few other complete strangers. Somehow the meaning of the picture completely changed with the "subject's" explanation. What a perfect example of today's discussion in Mass Communication and Society.

posted by clevergirl @ 9:37 PM