Picture of the Year

By Scott Krones

I chose the General Reporting category winner because it struck me as soon as it loaded on my screen. The image is so emphatic and it really drives home a strong message - you can't help but be impacted in some way by the picture. As the casket is being dragged out, you can see all of these people in the plane that are clearly affected - their faces invoke such a serious tone. But it is the caption that helps propel the image into greatness because the embedded quote is so meaningful and true. The passengers had no idea there was a body of a Marine in the cargo and now they will never forget that flight and that particular moment in their lives.

Images (along with captions) that resonate easily with their viewers are the pictures that are truly special - we can easily become emerged in the scene of the photo and we know that we would share the same tone if on board that plane. This particular image makes us realize the serious nature of the war and how brave these men and women are for sacrificing their lives to further protect the U.S. A good image is one that can transform an emotionally charged scene into a single moment of evidence without losing that emotion, which is what makes the General Reporting winner so successful.