The Power and Comedy of a Single News Image

Photographers in the field know this all too well. They chase the one perfect shot not because it tells the whole story but because it tells a story—preferably one dramatic enough to be misunderstood by millions within five seconds. A politician blinking mid-sentence becomes a national crisis. A celebrity scratching their nose becomes a medical emergency. The public demands truth, but only if it fits neatly inside a square image optimized for mobile viewing.