In a typical day, I see portraits on the walls of my house, and in textbooks or the newspaper, and also in magazines when I ever get around to them. I think the context of the photo affects the photo layout and mood created immensely. In my house, portraits are either meant to be artistic and have their own meaning or are just capturing family at different stages/moments but not having any alternative intents. In the newspaper you have two different types of photographs, you have the photos of the journalists and the portraits that go along with an article. Those of the journalists I have found reflect the section that they are contributing to- some people try to look very serious, where others seem very lighthearted. Article portraits generally are chosen to enhance the article. If they are trying to show the positive side of someone they will show them looking approachable. If they are putting someone down, they will usually make them look harsh and unfriendly. Textbooks sometimes use this same method- especially when they are for something like a history class. Magazines are the worst. They promote self-images. They are promoted by other forms of media and are a piece of society that tells us how we are supposed to look and behave according to whatever is "in". Each photo in a magazine will reinforce this by the positioning and emphasis given to each subject.
Personal photos are different from media photos in this sense. Personal photos can just be to remember a moment, or show ourselves how we want to be seen outwardly ( such as when people take them for facebook). They are not usually trying to sell anything though, and they usually have more of a personal context and story.
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