Most journalists (especially those who write for online publications) have a headshot; a portrait-type photo usually displaying them from the waist up that is viewable on their company's website.
This is partially to verify that the writer is a real person, and also so readers can get a sense of who wrote the articles they are reading.
There is a definite trend in the pose used in these photos: subject facing slightly to their right, head tilted a bit, with a mild smile (or smirk) on their face.
@RuchoSharma on Twitter found a picture of a monkey posed in almost exactly this fashion and Tweeted it with the caption:
"this is every journalist headshot"
Journalists immediately began posting their headshots to confirm the statement.
Some were comparing others' photos.
Several said the monkey was the one with more gravitas.
A few people called the skill of the photographers into question, but others didn't think that was it.
Twitter user @ReduxMovies offered an excellent explanation:
Will this change the poses for headshots in the future? Probably not.
The pose is pretty universally flattering and, as @ReduxMovies pointed out, it has become the standard "professional" pose.
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AMC