Photo Assignment Part 2

Amanda Knox breaks into tears after hearing the verdict that overturns her conviction and acquits her of murdering her British roommate Meredith Kercher, at the Perugia court, central Italy on Oct. 3. Knox had been sentenced to 26 years in prison. (Pier Paolo Cito/AP)

     This picture of Amanda Knox shows her reaction to having her guilty verdict overturned after 4 years of being in Italian custody. The picture, taken only yesterday, graced the the front of online news albums and the tops of newspaper articles around the world. It was chosen because it is eyecatching . It has the ability to evoke strong emotions because the subject, Knox, is showing such strong emotions. There is something that fascinates people about seeing somebody break down completely. Is it sympathy for the person? or is it merely the fact that crying is such a personal, private action, something that is almost indecent in our society? People like to think that by viewing the person in such an emotional state they know who the person really is, or in this case whether or not they commited the crime they were accused of. For these reasons, the purpose of the picture is to help the reader come to a conclusion about Knox's guilt. The picture is targeted to those who like to read about mysteries and murder trials and who think that they know the true story, regardless of what the jury decided. The photograph draws the observer in because without reading the caption or the article attached, one does not know if Knox is responding to an innocent or guilty verdict. An interesting question is why a photo of Knox? Why not the victim or the other two men convicted? The photo shows Knox because the story isn't about Meredith Kercher or the men anymore.People were intrigued by the young, American girl who always said she was inncoent, despite what seemed like irrefutable evidence against her. The focus shifted long ago when people found Knox's refusal to admit guilt more intriguing than the actual murder. That focus may shift again now that Knox and the others convicted in the murder have been proclaimed innocent. If not them, who did kill Kercher? Or maybe the public will have tired of this case now that the drama is over; they will move on to a new mystery. Of course, the one thing the picture will not, and can not tell us is if Amanada Knox is truly innocent.