Jun 8, 2010
A Picture’s Worth a 1,000 Lawsuits
It’s official. Once the photos of helpless, oil-laden birds were published last week, BP officially became the new definition for a catastrophic disaster with no relief in sight – in other words, a full-fledged cluster that Americans will no longer tolerate, forgive or forget. And it’s all about image.
This image of the BP oil spill will outlive all of us.
When images of the disaster were contained to aerial shots that resembled finger painting, the country didn’t implode. Only a mild level of national angst was felt after learning that 11 fellow Americans were killed in the incident. But when photos were shown of a small, helpless creature struggling to breath while ocean waves repeatedly worked to drown the poor thing, all bets were off. Americans weren’t comfortable with that image. The only thing worse would have been a photo of a dying puppy or newborn wallowing in the oil.
Think about other images that are permanently etched on our minds when we recall a monumental event:
* An American being engulfed in flames jumping from a building on 9-11-01.
* Hundreds of starving, filthy and sick horses being rescued from an inhumane owner.
* Somalian rioters dragging surviving American soldiers through the streets of Mogadishu after their helicopter was shot down.
* Families crying for help from their rooftops following Katrina.
* And just to show you how old I am, Americans stopped supporting military intervention in Vietnam when they saw video of countless body bags of OUR soldiers being returned.
Images can be powerful. Dramatic visuals often prompt strong reactions, if not retaliation, from Americans because we’re not comfortable seeing our fellow man, mammals or birds suffer. It’s part of what makes us unique as a country.
As public relations professionals, we can’t manipulate images. But we can work with our organizations and clients to help them be prepared for a crisis, including those lasting images that so often make it into court rooms and settlement proceedings.
What images are instilled in your memory regarding newsworthy events?
An excellent analysis of why pictures often matter more than words. I had the same thoughts too when I saw the oil covered photos of the pelicans, sea-gulls and other birds – this is going to go downhill from here. Another powerful series of images which rocked my mind were those of the Rwandan Hutu-Tutsi genocides as well as the older haunting visuals of the Holocaust. And as they say in the newsroom, a bad news day is a good news day!
Thanks so much, Walter, for your comments. Ironically, I had the Rwandan genocide and the Holocaust in my original draft, then I wondered if readers would recognize and/or remember those world tragedies. Images can be so, so, so powerful. Depending on the situation, that could be good or bad. Thanks again for your feedback. Have a great day!
Susan, I sure would hate to think that readers would not recognize/remember the Holocaust. There are so many tragic images that stick in your mind. One that comes to mind is the famous 1972 photo of the Vietnamese girl running naked in the streets after her clothes were burned off by a South Vietnamese napalm attack
So true and so tragic. My colleague from Australia did mention the Holocaust as unforgettable image. I personally remember lots of Vietnam images while watching Walter Cronkite. So sad. Thanks for commenting.
Now that you mention it, you're right. Our hearts go out to the "underdog", in this case, this poor little bird. Sadly, global enemies understand our tenderheartedness and prey on it, as in the case of the Somalian debacle and the subsequent movie "Blackhawk Down". We protect our own, human and otherwise.
I think protecting our own is a good thing; of course, I don't know any other way of thinking. Sadly, corporations and senior execs often don't keep that top of mind when they're in the process of pleasing shareholders and not anticipating the very worst of what could happen. Thanks for commenting.
The first image that I think of is the television coverage of President Kennedy's funeral – the hearse, moving so slowly, the crowds, and Jackie standing with her children
So true! Thanks for commenting.
Challenger.
Yes, I'm sure we all remember exactly where we were when we saw that image.