This is meta, meant mostly for Daily Kos members. Though I suppose some news editors would do well to think about this.
In a comment on Mark Sumner’s article about Trump calling Democrats “treasonous” for not applauding his State of the Union, Mary Rhubarb O’Brien expressed her dismay at how often Trump’s ugly face appears on Daily Kos:
DJT is so twisted, backward, and narcissistic, that he thinks that if you love the U.S.A., you have to love him, that the country and himself are synonymous, and that if you don’t applaud him, you are a traitor. ... Please stop showing his face so much in the DK. I’d rather look at kittens or flowers instead.
I feel your pain, Mary. We see Trump’s ugly face quite often enough on TV as it is. But how often would photos of kittens or flowers be relevant here? If you can make it relevant outside PWB Peeps, go for it.
Trump is a threat to democracy and to human survival in so many different ways. We have to write about him. With his being the focus of a particular post, it only makes sense that the photo below the headline is a photo of him.
There are other options for relevant photos. For example, if the article is about Trump and one other person, maybe opt for a photo of the other person by himself or herself.
Like for example, Ivanka Trump. Her ugliness is spiritual rather than physical, so if you’re writing about her and her father, better go with a picture of Ivanka by herself.
I know about the photo of the two of them with both of them making the goldfish mouth. I think that photo has been used often enough here on Daily Kos. Though I suppose it would be the most relevant photo if the topic is “Like father, like daughter.”
Hell, even a photo of Mitch McConnell with his George Lucas neck would be preferable to any photo of Trump. If you’re writing about Trump’s treason but mention Robert Mueller only in passing, it might still be a good idea to use Mueller for the lead photo.
Another option is to use photos of comic actors portraying Trump, like Alec Baldwin on Saturday Night Live. Photos of protesters dressed as Trump are another good option.
But if you absolutely must use a photo of Trump himself, maybe try to make him look respectable. For example, with no hair and a big red nose, Trump almost looks like a decent human being. As people read about the awful things he has said and done, it will be clear that he is in fact NOT a decent human being.
Please comment with other options for photos when writing about Trump.