Obama's photo oops: Why the White House is being assailed for blatant propaganda

The social media-savvy administration has made a habit of skirting the press' lens and going straight to the people

Obama
(Image credit: (CC BY: The White House))

On Wednesday, President Obama will engage in the hallowed presidential ritual of pardoning a turkey, a ceremony that has spawned some truly wonderful images over the years. And when Obama spares the life of either Popcorn or Caramel — hurry, there's still time to vote for which one lives! — there will be no shortage of assembled press waiting to snap pictures of him doing so.

However, the White House will also have its own staff photographer on hand to ensure it gets an official, Obama-friendly rendition of the big event. And that, according to a growing chorus of press organizations, exposes a serious problem of calculated image management that verges on outright propaganda.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.