In reports, mainly of black chronicles in Albanian online media, cases have been observed where the same photographs have been used for different events, without clarifying that they are illustrative or from the archive.
Hibrid.info has observed this phenomenon while monitoring online media.
To better reflect this phenomenon, hibrid.info has analyzed three concrete cases, where the images are not fake and were not used for the purpose of disinformation, but the way they were presented can easily lead to misunderstandings among the public.
Examples:
A photograph showing part of a building engulfed in flames has been used dozens of times over the years by Albanian media. Using this photograph, many different cases have been reported, but it has not been made known that it is not authentic of that event (see here).
Based on the image search engine "TinEye", it appears that this photo has been circulating on the internet since 2015 (see here).
The other case is a photograph depicting two police officers arresting a person.
This photograph is also used very often by the media when reporting on arrests. However, in most cases, the description of the photograph does not clarify that it is illustrative and does not belong to that event. (see here)
"Tineye" confirms that this photo has been circulating on the internet since 2019 (see here)
While when reporting on traffic accidents, it has been observed that a photograph showing a crashed car next to a road is used. This photograph has been used in many media articles, but without clarifying its context (see here)
Searching for this photo on Tineye shows that it has been circulating online since 2019 (see here)
These photographs, taken from media archives or from previous events, are placed in news stories about new cases, creating the impression that the images are directly related to the reported event. When the note “illustrative photo” or “photo from the archive” is missing, the reader has little chance of distinguishing whether the image is real for that case or simply symbolic.
In crime reporting, where the topics are sensitive and often serious, using a photograph that appears authentic can significantly increase the emotional impact on the reader and can create a kind of "visual reality" that is not necessarily accurate.
International Journalists' Network (IJNet) (International Journalists Network), in an article titled “Writing Photo Captions” explains the importance of photo captions in articles, which should provide the reader with the basic information needed to understand a photo and its relevance to the news story.
Include the date and time the photo was taken.
“This is essential information for a news release. The more up-to-date a photo is, the better. If an archive photo or a photo taken before the event being illustrated is used, the caption should make it clear that it is an ‘archive photo,’” writes in the article.
The practice of using illustrative photographs is not a problem in itself and is widely used in journalism. However, professional standards require that this be made clear to the public.