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The Vanity Fair (Lean Left bias) interview with Susie Wiles, President Trump’s Chief of Staff, included textbook examples of media bias from VF itself and outlets on the left; ensuing coverage of the story from some outlets on the right featured examples of spin and slant in the other direction.
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Photo Bias in Vanity Fair Piece
In conjunction with its article on Wiles, the outlet published close-up portraits of other administration figures that were circulated widely online, showcasing photo bias.
Photo bias is a type of media bias that can be used to influence a reader’s perception or emotion regarding a person or event. A photo can give either a hostile or a favorable impression of the subject. It can show up through choices like lighting, framing, angle, or the moment captured, subtly shaping perception without using any words.
Vanity Fair published an extreme close-up portrait of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Some critics compared Vanity Fair’s choice for her photo against how the outlet presented former President Joe Biden’s press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in January of this year.
The extreme close-up in this case makes clearly visible things like skin texture and apparent lip filler injection sites, making the subject appear flawed and vulnerable; whereas, Jean-Pierre’s portrait shows her in a powerful stance, commanding the environment.
JD Vance’s photo is more zoomed out, but features heavy shadows and includes visible light switches on the wall behind him.
A seemingly candid wide angle photo of Secretary of State Marco Rubio shows him looking down at his shoes. This shot of Rubio looking downward makes him appear hunched and small, perhaps giving the impression of someone who is downtrodden or lacking in power or prestige.
Coverage of The Vanity Fair Interview Differed on the Left, Center and Right
Media outlets AllSides rates as on the left and in the center often framed the interview as disruptive for the Trump administration, while sources on the right painted a picture of unwavering unity on Trump’s staff.
The top headline from the Associated Press (Left) highlighted Wiles’ alleged criticism: “criticizes Bondi and opines on Trump in Vanity Fair.”
Fox News (Right), on the other hand, led with Trump’s response and highlighted criticism of Vanity Fair: ”Trump brushes off Wiles’ ‘alcoholic’s personality’ nick as allies torch Vanity Fair piece”
In its headline, CNN (Lean Left) said Wiles “offered unflattering assessments of her colleagues to Vanity Fair.”
A headline from Washington Examiner (Lean Right) also highlighted Trump’s seeming embrace of the comments, writing, “Trump says ‘fantastic’ Wiles was right to say he has ‘alcoholic’s personality’.”
The Daily Beast’s (Left) headline called Wiles “loose lipped.”
The New York Post (Lean Right) said Trump “stands by” Wiles.
Comments from the Photographer
Photographer Christopher Anderson maintains that the photos are in line with his typical style of photography and were not taken to showcase the officials’ “bad sides.” He told The Independent (Lean Left), “Very close-up portraiture has been a fixture in a lot of my work over the years…I like the idea of penetrating the theater of politics.”
He also responded to some of the comments and criticisms about how the photos showcase so-called imperfections in their subjects: “Some on the internet have expressed shock that I chose not to retouch blemishes, injection marks, wrinkles, etc. From my perspective, it should be shocking if I did indeed retouch these things out,” Anderson said.
Getting the Full Picture
In this case and many others, it’s essential to read both the original information – in this case, the Vanity Fair interview – and the reactions to it from stakeholders – in this case, members of the Trump administration – to get the full picture.
This piece was written by Social Media Editor Emily Allen (Left bias), News Editor Andy Gorel (Center), and Editor-in-chief Henry A. Brechter (Center).
This piece was reviewed by Julie Mastrine, Director of Marketing and Media Bias Ratings (Lean Right).
