Public Service or Propaganda? Top Handout Photos of 2013

4 minute read

Many images published around the world on a daily basis are not taken by news organizations or commissioned by magazines, but are instead provided by third-party vendors who are, for various reasons, closer to the source of the story.

Whether viewed as a public service or as propaganda, widely-disseminated handout images provide visual material the public would otherwise rarely see. They can also, at times, constitute a minefield for the sources and publishers working with the material.

Handouts are often provided to news organizations and media companies — by governments, event organizers, private companies — in instances where access for photographers is either denied or not possible.

These images can be used for public good. Surveillance images released by law enforcement agencies function like modern-day digital wanted posters. Other images function as tributes to those who have died, celebrating their lives and achievements. Still others nostalgically commemorate significant events of the past, or highlight the wonders of science and the natural world, or raise awareness on an under-reported issue.

Some of the most popular and widely-shared images each and every year are released through handout channels: White House photos of the president, L’Osservatore Romano images of the Pope and, often from NASA, those related to space.

Not all handout images are, in fact, simply handed out. Occasionally, there’s some detective work involved in finding them. In the instance of a crime, depending on the jurisdiction in which is was committed, there may or may not be a precedent of releasing evidence photos as public record. Photo editors occasionally need to file a Freedom of Information request for images. Sometimes these requests bare fruit; sometimes not.

While the basic policy of news agencies and publishers alike is to not use a handout image if they have access to or can make their own photographs, sometimes economics, deadlines and even quality determine otherwise.

For the news agencies, issues of security and safety can lead to a reliance on handout images from places like Syria, for example, because of the size of the country and the very real dangers of covering such a chaotic and volatile civil war. The question then becomes one of who made the pictures, and is the imagery “real,” i.e., untampered with by someone trying to push a particular agenda through.

“In democratic countries where there is a traditional belief that an independent view is important, we should always strive for independent media access,” says AP’s Director of Photography Santiago Lyon. “Conversely, we often accept handouts from governments or states where the media freedoms are not as developed as they are in most democracies.”

“Official photographs from Cuba or from North Korea offer us, I think, a rare glimpse into essentially closed governments,” he adds. “Our view is that by not using those handout images, we would deprive our readers and viewers of a unique source of information.”

Publicity machines, PR organizations, educational institutions and activist organizations like Greenpeace are also players in the handout business.

News organizations — AP, Reuters, Getty — who carefully vet these images to determine authenticity and the motives of those supplying them distribute these photos and, in a sense, validate them. Handouts distributed via the news agencies do bear a warning for those who receive them: namely, that the image was provided by a third party. However, sometimes this level of transparency and accuracy is not embraced by the media organizations who receive and disseminate the material to the public.

Here, TIME presents a diverse selection of handout images from the last 12 months. Often fascinating, this abundant array of material runs the gamut from entertaining to educational, compelling to controversial.


Phil Bicker is a senior photo editor at TIME.


NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1097 a Seyfert galaxy
The following photographs were filed on the news wires in 2013. Some were taken within the last 12 months, while others are upwards of 150 years old, but all were relevant to the year's news cycle. Undated. This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image shows the bright star-forming ring that surrounds the heart of the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1097, a Seyfert galaxy. NASA/Reuters
Vatican Pope
March 23, 2013. In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis, right, and Pope emeritus Benedict XVI meet in Castel Gandolfo. L'Osservatore Romano/AP
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, along with daughters Sasha and Malia, stand in former South African President Nelson Mandela's cell as they listen to former prisoner Ahmed Kathrada during their tour of Robben Island Prison on Robben Island in Cape Town, South Africa, June 30, 2013. Leslie Robinson and Marian Robinson join them. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, along with daughters Sasha and Malia, stand in former South African President Nelson Mandela's cell as they listen to former prisoner Ahmed Kathrada during their tour of Robben Island Prison on Robben Island in Cape Town, South Africa, June 30, 2013. Leslie Robinson is pictured at left. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
June 30, 2013. In this photo provided by the White House, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, along with daughters Sasha and Malia, stand in former South African President Nelson Mandela's cell as they listen to former prisoner Ahmed Kathrada during their tour of Robben Island Prison on Robben Island in Cape Town, South Africa.Pete Souza—The White House
Mali Fighting
Jan. 29, 2013. In this photo provided by the French Army Communications Audiovisual office (ECPAD) on Feb. 1, 2013, French paratroopers drop from a plane over Timbuktu airport as part of the Operation Serval in Mali.Olivier Debes—ECPAD/AP
Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2013 - Thailand
Oct. 24, 2013. In this photo provided by Red Bull, Blake Aldridge (R) of the UK dives from a rock at Viking Caves in the Andaman Sea as Michal Navratil (C) of the Czech Republic makes his way up the ladders during competition on the fifth day of the final stop of the 2013 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at Phi Phi Island, Thailand.Dean Treml—Red Bull/Getty Images
AIR NEW ZEALAND HOBBIT PLANE
Dec. 2, 2013. This photo provided by Air New Zealand shows a Boeing 777-300 aircraft with a graphic of of the mythical dragon Smaug, the star of the second installment of Sir Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy in Auckland, New Zealand.Air New Zealand/EPA
Spain Russia Greenpeace
Nov. 8, 2013. In this photo provided by Greenpeace, protesters hold signs reading "Liberty" in various languages, hang from the Sagrado Familia Basilica in Barcelona, Spain.Mario Gomez—Greenpeace/AP
APTOPIX Vatican Pope
Feb. 24, 2013. In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict XVI delivers his blessing during his last Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square.L'Osservatore Romano—AP
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un waves while in a boat during his visit to the Wolnae Islet Defence Detachment in the western sector of the front line, which is near Baengnyeong Island of South Korea
March 11, 2013. In this photo provided by North Korea's official KCNA news agency in Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) waves while in a boat during his visit to the Wolnae Islet Defense Detachment in the western sector of the front line, which is near Baengnyeong Island of South Korea.KCNA/Reuters
A blaze is seen in the demilitarized zone in this picture taken south of the DMZ in Goseong
April 13, 2013. In this photo provided by the Goseong County Office, a blaze is seen in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating North Korea and South Korea, in this picture taken from just south of the DMZ in Goseong, about 330 km (205 miles) northeast of Seoul.Goseong County Office/Reuters
Kazakhstan Russia Space
March 29, 2013. In this photo provided by NASA, Rhe Soyuz-FG rocket booster with Soyuz TMA-08M space ship carrying a new crew to the International Space Station, ISS, blasts off at the Russian-leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. Carla Cioffi—NASA/AP
Caddo County Escape
Undated. This photo provided by the Caddo County Sheriff's Office shows Dylan Ray Three Irons, who is one of four inmates who escaped from the county jail in Anadarko, Okla. on Oct. 27, 2013.Caddo County Sheriff's Office/AP
Denali Landslide
Oct. 24, 2013. In this photo provided by the National Park Service, a large landslide in Denali National Park has covered parts of a road already inaccessible near Sable Pass, Alaska. National Park Service/AP
Selfie
Sept. 5, 2012. In this photo provided by NASA, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Aki Hoshide, Expedition 32 flight engineer, uses a digital still camera to take a photo of his helmet visor during the mission's third session of extravehicular activity (EVA).Aki Hoshide—NASA/AP
A NASA handout of an iceberg from the Pine Island Glacier separating from the Antarctica continent
Nov. 10, 2013. In this photo provided by NASA, an iceberg which was part of the Pine Island Glacier is shown separating from the Antarctica continent.NASA/Reuters
Metro-North Train Derails In Bronx
Dec. 1, 2013. In this handout photo provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), a Metro North train sits derailed in the Bronx borough of New York City. Multiple injuries and four deaths were reported after the seven car train left the tracks as it was heading to Grand Central Terminal along the Hudson River line. (Photo by NTSB via Getty Images)NTSB/Getty Images
H7N9 virus
April 15, 2013. This electron microscope image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the H7N9 virus which can take on a variety of shapes. C.S. Goldsmith, T. Rowe—CDC/AP
Infrared handout photo of the Witch Head nebula
Undated. The Witch Head nebula, named after its resemblance to the profile of a witch, is seen in an infrared handout photo from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE).JPL-Caltech/NASA/Reuters
Mosaic Image of Saturn
Oct. 10, 2013. This photo provided by NASA shows a portrait looking down on Saturn and its rings created from images obtained by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. It was made by amateur image processor and Cassini fan Gordan Ugarkovic. This image has not been geometrically corrected for shifts in the spacecraft perspective and still has some camera artifacts.Gordan Ugarkovic—JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute/NASA/EPA
ADDITION Virginia Daily Life NASA
Undated. This photo provided by NASA on Sept. 27, 2013 shows fluorescent oil on a 5.8 percent scale model of a hybrid wing body aircraft during tests in the 14 by 22 Foot Subsonic Wind Tunnel at the NASA Langley facility in Hampton, Va.Preston Martin—NASA/AP
Bremen robot duo for possible lunar mission
Undated. A photo released on Jan. 14, 2013 by the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI), shows a robot duo that could search for water one day on the moon in Bremen, Germany. Florian Cordes—DFKI/GMBH/DPAZuma Press
Very Early Animals
Undated. This image provided by Brown University via the journal Science on Dec. 12, 2013 shows a Mnemiopsis leidyi, a species of comb jelly known as a sea walnut. Stefan Siebert—Brown University/AP
A 25-year-old female loggerhead turtle named Yu swims after receiving her 27th pair of prosthetic flippers at the Suma Aqualife Park in Kobe
Feb. 11, 2013. In this photo provided by Suma Aqualife Part, a 25-year-old female loggerhead turtle named Yu swims after receiving her 27th pair of prosthetic flippers at the Suma Aqualife Park in Kobe, western Japan.Suma Aqualife Park/Reuters
APTOPIX Gulf Shipwreck
July 24, 2013. In this photo provided by NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program, oidized copper hull sheathing and possible draft marks visible on the bow of a wrecked ship in the Gulf of Mexico about 170 miles from Galveston, Tx.NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program/AP
ITALY-SHIPPING-TOURISM-DISASTER
Sept. 12, 2013. This photo provided by National Center for Space Studies (CNES) shows a view of the wreck of the Costa Concordia cruise ship in the harbor of Isola de Giglio taken by the Astrium satellite.CNES/Distribution Astrium Services/AFP/Getty Images
JAPAN-VOLCANO-ISLET
Dec. 1, 2013. This photo provided by the Japan Coast Guard shows a newly created small islet near the Nishinoshima island of the Ogasawara island chain, south of Tokyo. Japan Coast Guard/AFP/Getty Images
Diving torchbearers are seen during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic torch relay underwater Lake Baikal
Undated. In this photo provided by the Organizing Committee Sochi 2014, diving torchbearers are seen during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic torch relay underwater in Lake Baikal, Russia.Organizing Committee Sochi 2014/Reuters
drug tunnel
Oct. 30, 2013. This photo provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows a tunnel inking warehouses in Tijuana and San Diego to smuggle drugs. The tunnel is equipped with electricity, ventilation and a rail system, U.S. authorities said, making it one of the more sophisticated secret passages discovered along the U.S.-Mexico border.U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/AP
Bradley Manning
Undated. This photo provided by the U.S. Army shows Pfc. Bradley Manning posing for a picture wearing a wig and lipstick.Bradley Manning—U.S. Army/AP
RUSSIA-OIL-ENERGY-PROTEST-ENVIRONMENT-SCIENCE
Nov. 17, 2013. This image released by Greenpeace shows a view of the notorious Detention Center No. 1 known by the nickname Kresty, or Crosses, which housed political prisoners both in tsarist and Soviet times and believed to be one of the possible detention facilities to hold some the 30 detained crew members of a Greenpeace protest ship.Greenpeace/AFP/Getty Images
APTOPIX South Africa Mandela Mourning
Dec. 11, 2013. This photo provided by the Government Communication and Information System of South Africa shows Nelson Mandela's widow Graca Machel pays her respects to former South African President Nelson Mandela during the lying in state at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa.Elmond Jiyane—GCIS/AP
Egypt Mummies Heart Disease
Undated. This photo released March 10, 2013 by a group of cardiologists from Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, shows the mummy Hatiay (New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, 1550 to 1295 BCE) being scanned at a facility in Cairo, Egypt, where it was found to have evidence of extensive vascular disease. Dr. Michael Miyamoto—AP
The skull of Richard III is seen in this photograph provided by the University of Leicester and received in London
Undated. This photo provided by the University of Leicester and received in London on Feb. 4, 2013 shows the skull of Richard III.University of Leicester/Reuters
YE Kenya Mall Attack
Sept. 26, 2013. This photo released by the Kenya Presidency shows the collapsed upper car park of the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya.Kenya Presidency/AP
Motorist Death-Family Letters
Oct. 18, 2013. This photo released by the Utah Highway Patrol shows a vehicle in a ravine where David Welch was found in eastern Utah. Utah Highway Patrol/AP
Connecticut School Shooting
Undated. This image released Nov. 25, 2013 by the Danbury, Connecticut State's Attorney in the "Appendix to Report on the Shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School and 36 Yogananda St., Newtown, Connecticut On December 14, 2012," shows a scene at 36 Yogananda St., where gunman Adam Lanza lived with his mother.Office of the Connecticut State's Attorney Judicial District of Danbury/AP
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev
April 19, 2013. This photo released by Sean Murphy of the Massachusetts State Police shows 19-year-old Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev leaning over in a boat at the time of his capture by law enforcement authorities in Watertown, Mass.Sean Murphy—Massachusetts State Police/AP
Ape
Undated. This photo provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows FBI tactical dog, Ape. Ape was killed in the line of duty on Thursday, March 14, 2013 in Herkimer, N.Y., as he joined police and FBI Tactical Teams in the search for Kurt Myers, a man believed to have killed four people at random in the upstate villages of Mohawk and Herkimer. FBI/AP
A Washington Summer
Aug. 19, 2013. This photo released by the White House shows Bo, left, and Sunny, the Obama family dogs, on the South Lawn of the White House. Pete Souza—The White House/AP
US-KENNEDY-50YEARS-DEATH AND FUNERAL
Nov. 23, 1963. In this photo released by the White House, President John F. Kennedy's body lies in state in the East Room of the White House, attended by an honor guard. Robert Knudsen—White House Photographs/John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston/AFP/Getty Images
Handout photo of a vehicle with bullet holes and broken glass shown during Bulger trial
Undated. This photo provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office on June 17, 2013 shows a vehicle with bullet holes and broken glass which was shown to jurors hearing the racketeering and murder trial of accused Boston mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger.U.S. Attorney's Office/Reuters
Undated handout photo shows victim Drummer Lee Rigby, of the British Army's 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
Undated. This photo released by the Ministry of Defense on May 23, 2013 shows Drummer Lee Rigby, of the British Army's 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.Ministry of Defense/Crown Copyright/Reuters
Robert D. Corriveau
Undated. This photo provided by Virginia M. Cleary shows her brother, Robert D. Corriveau, in his United States Marines fatigues in 1966. Corriveau was thought to be a deserter when he went missing from a Philadelphia V.A. hospital in 1968. Virginia Cleary learned in 2012 that her brother had been stabbed and his body found along the Pa. Turnpike in Nov. 1968 and buried in an unmarked grave.AP/Courtesy Virginia M. Cleary
Finding Lincolns Address
Nov. 19, 1863. This photo made available by the Library of Congress on Nov. 19, 2013 shows the crowd assembled for President Abraham Lincoln's address at the dedication of a portion of the battlefield at Gettysburg, Pa. as a national cemetery. Alexander Gardner—Library of Congress/AP
TOPSHOTS 2013-SYRIA-CONFLICT
Aug. 21, 2013. This photo released by the Syrian opposition's Shaam News Network shows bodies of children and adults on the ground as Syrian rebels claim they were killed in a toxic gas attack by pro-government forces in eastern Ghouta, on the outskirts of Damascus.Shaam News Network/AFP/Getty Images
Mideast Iran Nuclear
Feb. 7, 2013. In this photo released by an official website of the Iranian supreme leader's office, Iranian army air force members chant slogans, during their meeting with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, unseen, in Tehran, Iran.Office of the Supreme Leader/AP
SWITZERLAND-RUSSIA-ENVIRONMENT-ENERGY-OIL-PROTEST
Dec. 3, 2013. This photo released by Greenpeace shows activists disguised as polar bears during a protest against Gazprom in Geneva. Greenpeace/AFP/Getty Images
A frog is captured during a lift off of NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia
Sept. 6, 2013. In this photo released by NASA, a frog is captured during the lift off of NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Va.Chris Perry—NASA/Reuters
The final piece of the One World Trade Center spire is attached to the building by ironworkers in New York
May 10, 2013. In this photo released the agency Insider Images, the final piece of the One World Trade Center spire is attached to the building by ironworkers in New York.Gary He—Insider Images/Reuters
Pipeline bombing in Homs
Dec. 8, 2011. A photo released by Syrian news agency SANA shows smoke rising behind residential buildings after the bombing of a pipeline transporting oil to the refinery in Homs, Syria.SANA/EPA
NASA handout photo of Columbia debris in a hanger at Kennedy Space Center
March 13, 2003. This photo provided by NASA on Feb. 1, 2013, the 10th anniversary since the orbiter broke apart in the skies over Texas, shows the RLV Hangar where the floor grid is marked with a growing number of pieces of the Columbia Space Shuttle debris.NASA/Reuters
PHILIPPINES-WEATHER-HAIYAN
Nov. 22, 2013. This photo released by the U.S. Navy shows Tacloban residents displaced by Typhoon Haiyan fill the cargo hold of a C-17 Globemaster military cargo plane.Peter D. Blair—U.S. Navy/AFP/Getty Images
Roma Couple Due In court On Charges Of Abducting Four-Year-Old Girl
Oct. 21, 2013. This photo provided by the Hellenic Police shows a four-year-old girl reportedly named Maria who was found living with a Roma couple in central Greece. The Roma couple are due to appear in court in Larissa, Greece, on charges of abducting the young girl, who was found on Wednesday Oct. 16th, 2013, at a Roma settlement near Farsala during a police raid of the area for suspected drug trafficking.Hellenic Police/Getty Images
Handout still image of a female giant panda Ke Lin watching a panda mating video at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
March 10, 2013. This photo provided by Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding shows female giant panda Ke Lin watching a panda mating video, Sichuan province, China. According to the staff of the research base, they showed Ke Lin this video trying to let her know how to mate because she kept rejecting panda Yong Yong from mounting her although she was in oestrum. After watching this video, Ke Lin and Yong Yong successfully mated.Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding/Reuters
Panda baby named Fu Bao
Nov. 26, 2013. This photo provided by the Schoenbrunn Zoo on Nov. 28, 2013 shows Panda baby 'Fu Bao' in Vienna, Austria.Daniel Zupanc—Schoenbrunn Zoo/EPA
Prince George Christening
Oct. 23, 2013. This photo released by Clarence House on Oct. 24, 2013 shows Britain's Prince William, his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and their son Prince George poses with Queen Elizabeth and family members after the christening service at St James's Palace in London.Jason Bell—Camera Press/Clarence House/Reuters
27th SEA Games - Opening Ceremony
Dec. 11, 2013. In this photo provided by the Myanmar News Agency, fireworks illuminate the sky above the Wunna Theikdi Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 27th South East Asia (SEA) Games in Naypyitaw, Myanmar.Myanmar News Agency/EPA
Late South African president Nelson Mandela memorial
Dec. 10, 2013. A photo provided by the White House on Dec. 12, 2013 shows South Africans cheering as U.S. President Obama walks through a tunnel at the soccer stadium before taking the stage to speak at the memorial service for late South African president Nelson Mandela at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa. Pete Souza—The White House/EPA
Late South African president Nelson Mandela tribute
Dec. 11, 2013. A photo provided by the office of the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico on Dec. 12, 2013 shows it's headquarters being illuminated with the colors of the South African flag in honor of deceased late president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, in Mexico City. SRE/EPA
Lights of Christmas
Dec. 12, 2013. This handout image shows the Lights of Christmas 2013 light show projected onto St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, Australia.James Horan—Avviso PR/EPA
Selfies Photo Gallery
Aug. 28, 2013. In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis has his picture taken inside St. Peter's Basilica with youths from the Italian Diocese of Piacenza and Bobbio who came to Rome for a pilgrimage at the Vatican.L'Osservatore Romano/AP
Hubble image of a supernova
Aug. 19, 2013. A photo made available by NASA on Nov. 13, 2013, shows a supernova captured by the Hubble space telescope. NASA/ESA/HUBBLE/EPA

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