CNN Photos: Gerald Ford or Saddam Hussein - Which is nicer?

CNN.com ^

[WellsFargo94]

The birth and death years are missing for U.S. President Ford, but the appearance of this detail for Saddam the Slaughterer of Millions makes him appear to be a revered diplomat!

Disgusting.

[GOP Poet]

there is another factor at work here too that usually those working in film or photography understand about placement in a frame. This is the right side of a frame is always naturally dominant. Thus when one wants to soften something they place it elsewhere. Notice where Saddam is placed. Notice Ford. One could read this in a variety of ways--such as Ford was an older softer influence, while Saddam is seen as a very dominant figure. Or one could also say by having such a nice picture of Saddam in the dominant he was a dominant good guy (ala CNN-). Notice he is large and placed in the left of the frame in Fox. This placement lessens his power.

Of course sizing matters as well and this is why you usually see a smaller image in the right of a frame and a larger in the left as the right even at a smaller size presents much more dominant. The left has to be larger to stand out, even if there is not a lot in the picture. Keep your eye out for this when you watch films and how imposing it is when they have filled the whole of the right frame with a large image it is profound.

[GOP Poet]

I like how they softened the image of Saddam while keeping the contrast high on Ford. It makes Ford look older and Saddam more handsome.

Yes. Very good eye. Great catch. It is just sick and sad isn't it!? Nice SOFT SADDAM--Pa-le-e-z-e.

[fat city]

I must say I was very impressed with Elizabeth Vargas and ABC and what they did tonight, interrupting 20/20 and chronicling Saddam's horrors. Excellent work by them.

It's what good journalists should do.

[perfect stranger]

[janetjanet998]

Here's the pic CNN has up now for FORD now

CLICK

[tina07]

Using the appropriate title for Saddam of 'the Butcher of Baghdad' would have been the proper thing to do, instead of his birth & death years...

[Let's Roll]

I'm surprised the CNN editors had time for anything about Ford or Saddam busy as they were with this snippy little piece of headline spinning:

"Tornado scare sent Bush running for cover"

How precious they are over there and just so special ... holiday weekend, bosses out of the office, student interns obviously in charge.

[trumandogz]

I am surprised CNN did not run with that picture of Saddam with Donald Rumsfeld.

[Luke Skyfreeper]

Utterly disgusting.

[paudio]

CNN cannot decide who to hate more.

It looks like they cannot decide who to hate.

[combat_boots]

30 pieces of silver must not go far these days