To what extent have the following two pictures gone through a process of mediation?

In this essay I am going to be analysing and deconstructing these two pictures refferring to semiotics, binary oppositions and ideology.

In this first picture, the main focus is on the knocked down flats at the front. There are many binary oppositions such as the the building symbolises distruction, loss, death and the fact that people used to live there and have memories. However, behind the building is the Capitol Hill which is a buliding of parlament. Two images are combined into one which have seperate, opposite meanings.
When you first look at the photo you just see half a buliding and thats it, but then if you study the photo it has semiotics behind it; It looks as if Capitol Hill is looking upon or avoiding the fact that these things happen to people in actual life.

The second photo also has binary oppositions. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom and opportunity. The sunlight is beaming on it so it looks bright and gives the photo a positive feel. In contrast to this, in the background there is thick, black smoke which we then know automatically that something has happened. It has connotations of danger and loss, we get this from it being dark, dull and smoke is usually around when a fire or a destruction of some sort is going on. It is like completely two different pictures in one as they both give off different symbols.
Also, when you look closely at the Statue of Liberty it kind of looks as if it has been photoshopped in as it is clear and has no mist of smoke anywhere near it. This could just be the angle of the photo but does make you question.