This image of a gun pointed at the viewer...



was replaced by this: 

Vote.com Removes an Exploitive Image

by Ken Sanes
November 13, 2001

It is a truism by now that the media will take just about whatever license it can get. But there is also a piece of good news in this: when people oppose the media's excesses, it often pulls back to protect itself.

A case in point is an inappropriate graphic that appeared in late September on Vote.com, the opinion polling site run by Eileen McGann and pollster and Fox pundit, Dick Morris. The graphic accompanied a poll on whether pilots should carry guns. But, instead of showing a gun holstered or pointed at a terrorist, it showed a gun pointed menacingly at the viewer. Vote.com's intention was obvious -- it was trying to ratchet up the excitement level of its web site by playing on the feeling of danger many people have as a result of the September 11 attacks.

In addition to being exploitive, the image made a mockery of the idea that Vote.com was conducting anything that deserves to be called an opinion poll (even an unscientific one). After all, an emotionally charged image like this had the potential to influence the way visitors to the site voted, as Dick Morris undoubtedly knew.

But Vote.com decided to stand by the appropriateness of the image after Marty Galyean, a visitor to the site, sent it an email complaint. Then in October it backed off and replaced the image. Its reasons for the about face are obvious. In addition to the fact that there was a critical column in Reform (Vote.com Hits a New Low), there was also an anthrax scare that made the feeling of danger too real. As Vote.com explained in an email to Reform, it changed the image because it didn't want to be insensitive to patrons "especially in light of recent events".

Admittedly, this was a minor victory. But it sent a message to Dick Morris (who always seems to be involved in one weird manipulation or another) and perhaps to others in the media that there are limits to the kind of sensationalism they can get away with.

Of course, the message didn't go very deep since Vote.com continues to use sensational images on its web site. And therein lies the problem: the media may engage in strategic retreats but it is extremely difficult to get it to introduce real reforms.