Melania Trump earns up to $1 million from Getty Images, media allowed to use photos in “positive stories only”
Jul 5, 2018
Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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President Donald Trump’s most recent financial disclosure has revealed an unusual agreement involving Getty Images and Melania Trump. In 2017, the First Lady has reportedly earned at least $100,000 in an agreement with Getty for the use of photos of the Trump family. But there’s a catch: the media are only allowed to use each of the 187 photos in “positive stories.”
According to NBC News, the photos were shot by Belgian photographer Regine Mahaux between 2010 and 2016 The revenue statement in President Trump’s financial disclosure states that Melania Trump earned between $100,000 and $1,000,000 in photo royalties from this Getty deal in 2017. Since federal officials are only required to disclose an income range and not the precise amount, we only have a vague figure of Melania Trump’s earnings. But what’s unusual about the deal with Getty Images is that the licensing agreement stipulates the pictures can be used in “positive stories only.”
NBC News has found that at least a dozen organizations had paid to use the restricted photos of the Trump family, including NBC News itself. Some of the publications include Yahoo News, Marie Claire, the Daily Mail, and the Houston Chronicle, which resulted in indirect payments to the first family.
It’s not unusual for celebrities to earn royalties from photos of themselves. It’s also not unusual that they require for the photos to be used in positive coverage only. But what is unusual and seems like media manipulation is when such an agreement is required from the First Lady.
[via FStoppers, NBC News; image credits: Marc Nozell/Wikimedia Commons]
Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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8 responses to “Melania Trump earns up to $1 million from Getty Images, media allowed to use photos in “positive stories only””
private pictures, payed by them. They can do what they want. Easy. And, btw, even taken before Trump was president.
with the judge ruling fair use once photo has been published.. just use a photo from the internet for a story and don’t pay the bitch.
brace yourselves, more memes are coming
They’re her images and she has full legal rights to them and how they are to be used. Just like anyone else.
She’s got as much charisma as a garden fence.
Who gives a hoot she’s a lot better looking than a garden fence
If you want to do a “non-positive story” on Melania Trump, I’m sure there are plenty of other places to get a usable photo – so no, not “media manipulation” just “business”
So what, she’s entitled to use her looks and stature to make money to give to her many charities. Her husband takes no salary to run the world. OK Dunda!