Generic imagery:

Every photographer, like the photographer in East Beirut, knows the kinds of images that will be published and those that will not be. For example, it is much easier to publish images of minority drug addicts than those who are white; sexuality is better left to starlets and Calvin Klein models; executives must be made to look powerful, unless they’re in jail.

A colleague of mine, a picture editor himself, remarked that there were basically only seven kinds of pictures of people ever published in the press. My list would include: powerful executive; grieving widow, sexy starlet; down-and-out minority member; victim of violence; starving kid; successful athlete.