Reutergate – Reuters Publishes Doctored Photos
(Newest updates are at the bottom of this posting)
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Once again the blogosphere is way ahead of the MSM.
Al-Reuters has suffered a severe blow to its credibility with the publishing of this obviously digitally manipulated photo: (hat tip LittleGreenFootballs.com and MichelleMalkin.com).
As has been pointed out here and here the plumes of smoke show never-occurring-in-nature patterns which have in all likelihood been created using a photoshoplike cloning tool.
Setting aside that the MSM has been on notice for the staged photos emanating from the region this is disgraceful particularly in light of Al-Reuters news-gathering policy:
Our policy is to send news to our customers only after scrutiny by a group of production editors who ensure quality standards are maintained across all our news services. When we get something wrong, our policy is to be honest about errors and to correct them promptly and clearly.
You can contact a Al-Reuters editor here. This is the message I wrote to them:
The Adnan Hajj photo published at http://news.yahoo.com/photo/060805/ids_photos_ts/r3101797657.jpg has obviously been digitally manipulated as has been pointed out at http://michellemalkin.com/archives/005669.htm and http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=21956_Reuters_Doctoring_Photos_from_Beirut&only.
This severely damages Reuters’ credibility and each moment that goes by without a very public correction and statement to the effect that Reuters will never again use photos from Adnan-Hajj only serves to increase that damage.
Sincerely,
Joseph
If such an obviously doctored photo made it pass the al-Reuters quality gates you have to ask yourself what less-obvious doctored photos may have been published in the past.
Al-Reuters admits the photo was doctored.
As Michelle points out a major question remains unanswered:
Who altered the photo: the photographer or an editor?
I would also like to know what steps Al-Reuters is putting in place to prevent this type of thing from happening in the future.
UPDATE: 8/7/06 9:57 pm
Al-Reuters has pulled all 920 pictures taken by the photographer Adnan Hajj.
This is scandalous; at least one other picture has been been doctored and another couple of pictures contain patently false information. I predict that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Michelle Malkin recommends the following:
How about [Reuters creates] a blogger review panel to independently examine Adnan Hajj’s work? Here are your talented online panelists, Mr. Glocer, for starters:
Charles Johnson
Rusty Shackleford
Ace of Spades
Jeff Harrell
Allah Pundit
Dan Riehl
Beth at My VWRC
EU Referendum
The Dissident Frogman
Jeff Goldstein
Thomas Lifson
Left and Right
I’ll go a step further and recommend that the independent panel also examine the procedures Al-Reuters is putting in place to prevent doctoring AND staging of scenes from happening in the future.
UPDATE: 8/8/06 6:18 pm
My prediction seems to be panning out. See Michelle Malkin’s Fauxtography and more al-Reuters photo fraud.
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