Former US President Donald Trump’s “mug shot” has gone viral. But what does the term actually mean and how is money made from it?
It’s no longer the norm everywhere: the police photo of the accused, known in American as a “mug shot”. But in Georgia, photos to identify suspects are required by law.
Here, former US President Donald Trump has to answer in court for attempting to influence the election. And the responsible sheriff had already emphasized in advance: He is treated no differently than others.
digital industry
Literally translated, “mug shot” means face shot. The term is made up of the slang words “mug” for face, but also face or visage, and “shot” for snapshot or recording. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the term was first used in this sense in 1950.
In the past, those arrested often had to hold up plaques with their personal data to the camera for the police recordings, which were intended to ensure unequivocal identification. In the age of digital photography, these are recorded in the metadata.
In the United States, a digital industry has developed around police photos in recent years. While most police recordings used to gather dust in files and only found their way into the media in particularly spectacular cases, the images now fill commercial websites.
For this purpose, the mug shots are automatically picked up and published by the authorities. The business model: create internet traffic and sell advertising space with the scary factor of alleged criminal visages. Or get paid to remove the photo in question from this page. Alone: The Internet forgets nothing.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
