;.l1,3,63,66,1,0,10,75,192,2,15,20,25,127,10,0,
MEDIA BIAS
TO:    David bar-Ilan, Eye on Media, Jlem Post
FROM:  Steve Amdur, Kibbutz Haon, Jordan Valley, 15170 Israel.
       Telephone:  972-6-757572; FAX:  972-6-757554
DATE:      
RE:
REF:   Jlem Post Magazine Feb. 11, 1994; photos of Shamir
CC:   David Bedein, Israel Resource, Bet Agron; 02-247803; 257303 
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The cover photo and photo which closes the article, on p8, makehim look like a frail old man, still a bit feisty, but of noparticular distinction.  The impression is that this is no longera person to take seriously in the political context; it is a hasbeen, de facto retired.  The cover photo uses two elementarytricks -- shooting downward and foreshortening.  The photographerchose to photograph him in nondescript old clothes that he usesfor hiking.  The p8 photo, in which the viewer's attention isdirected to the bald spot on his head and to the small umbrulla --attributes of an old man -- also uses a trick of perspective, butI don't have the vocabularly to specify it.

Of course one can defend the photos; only the most bald-faced biascan't be defended.  The cover photo fits Shamir's pose of being aninconscpicuous, unimportant person; the p8 photo symbolizes andold man retiring from public service.  But neither catches eitherhis public nor private personna.  The photographer and photographeditor may just be superficial; but the effect, with Shamirarguably the most potentially important of the 3 leading opponentsof the 'piece process', is tendentious.



 