The inclusion of images alongside news articles played a pivotal role in conveying the intended messages, with notable disparities observed between liberal and conservative sources.
These charts show the frequency of image usage among Liberal and Conservative articles.
Conversely, images within conservative sources—comprising 32% of the articles—painted a picture of Puerto Rico as an enticing destination for relocation. Depictions of beachfront condos, resorts, and hotels conveyed an image of an idealized island life, promoting feelings of happiness, openness, and contentment. Moreover, these images not only evoked positive emotions but also actively encouraged migration to the island, thereby contributing to the process of gentrification. This sentiment was encapsulated in one article’s image caption stating (Stossel 2022):
Screenshot from How tax freedom is enticing Americans like Logan Paul to move to Puerto Rico, May 01, 2024. USA Today.
Among the liberal articles featuring images, a significant proportion—57%—portrayed Puerto Rico as a struggling island yet to fully recover from the aftermath of natural disasters like Hurricane Maria. One striking image depicted women and children sleeping in tents within a parking lot, highlighting the dire consequences of housing destruction caused by the hurricane (Kim 2020). This consistent theme of desperation permeated other images within liberal sources, evoking emotions of anger, frustration, and despair.
Left: New Jersey & the Ode to Puerto Rico by U.S. Customs and Border Protection from Flickr. CC0 1.0 Right: The WALL of San Juan PR by Thank You (24 Millions ) views from Flickr. CC-BY
Overall, the inclusion of images in news articles served as a powerful tool in shaping perceptions of Puerto Rico and influencing attitudes towards gentrification, with liberal and conservative sources employing contrasting visual narratives to convey their respective viewpoints.