The Age of Photo Op Politics

In the age of the new media, political reporting has increasingly become image-conscious, sometimes blurring the line between the politician and the pose, real and pseudo-events, news and entertainment. New technologies—from the rise of the Internet and the advent of a 24-hour news cycle—make it easier than ever to capture, manipulate and spread images around the globe. But do photo op politics, in the context of the 2008 election, give voters an authentic view of the candidates?

On September 18, William Galston of the Brookings Institution will moderate a discussion with Kiku Adatto, author of Picture Perfect: Life in the Age of the Photo Op, to explore the expressions and problems of America’s photo op culture. They will be joined by Diana Walker, photojournalist and photographer for Time magazine; Gloria Borger, CNN senior political analyst and political columnist with U.S. News & World Report; and Bill Kovach, former Washington bureau chief of The New York Times and senior counselor for the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism.

This event is part of the “Governing Ideas” series. The series is intended to broaden the discussion of governance issues through forums on timely and relevant books on history, culture, legal norms and practices, values and religion.

After the program, the panelists will take audience questions.