Photoshop is 35 years old.
Even people who have never used the software, are certainly aware of it. After all, the name itself has been turned into a verb meaning “to alter a photograph, often with intent to mislead or deceive”.
But the practice of creating false versions of reality didn’t start with Photoshop, or even digital photography.
In the early 20th century, alternate versions of history (and reality) were being attempted by people like Soviet leaders Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin who famously removed their former comrades from official photographs.1
A recent piece in National Geographic, certainly a pioneer in the art of photography, points out that “It’s harder than ever to identify a manipulated photo”.
Although they suggest leaving the work of image verification to professionals, the writer offers a few suggestions when encountering suspicious photos on social media and elsewhere.
Their recommendations are good, if pretty basic: consider the source, take a close look at the lighting and shadows in the image, check if the same or similar photos have appeared on more reputable sites.
Of course, all of this assumes someone wants to know if they are being manipulated.
Too many people are in such a rush they aren’t inclined to think twice what they see/read/hear. Or the truth is secondary to other priorities. Like finding something to support the rant they’re anxious to post on social media or their Substack newsletter.
And therein lies the problem. Facts and fact checking depends entirely on the reader/viewer being interested in knowing the truth.
The number of social media users who fit that description seems to be on a steep, steady decline.
1. One famous example at the top shows Lenin walking along a canal next to Nikolai Yezhov. Poor Nikolai fell out of favor and was removed from the image after he disappeared.