Is the Camera a Mirror or a Window?

Every image is a series of choices: what to include, what to exclude, how to frame it. When you look at a photo, ask: What is just outside the frame? Who decided that? The camera never lies, but the photographer always edits.

Media often reflects the perspective of those who hold the camera. Consider: Whose stories are centered? Whose are marginalized? The answer reveals power structures. Asking this question can shift how you consume everything from news to film.

We trust photos as evidence, but they can be staged, manipulated, or taken out of context. In a world of deepfakes and filters, the question isn't 'Is it real?' but 'What is it trying to make me feel or believe?'

Next time you scroll through your feed, pause. Ask: Who took this? Why? What am I not seeing? Media literacy isn't about cynicism — it's about seeing more clearly. The camera is a tool; you are the interpreter.