Reuters drops freelance Lebanese photographer over image

Reuters ^ | 06 Aug 2006 | Reuters

[PajamaTruthMafia]

LONDON, Aug 6 (Reuters) - Reuters, the global news and information agency, told a freelance Lebanese photographer on Sunday it would not use any more of his pictures after he doctored an image of the aftermath of an Israeli air strike on Beirut.

The photograph by Adnan Hajj, which was published on news Web sites on Saturday, showed thick black smoke rising above buildings in the Lebanese capital after an Israeli air raid in the war with the Shi'ite Islamic group Hizbollah, now in its fourth week.

Reuters withdrew the doctored image on Sunday and replaced it with the unaltered photograph after several news blogs said it had been manipulated using Photoshop software to show more smoke.

Reuters has strict standards of accuracy that bar the manipulation of images in ways that mislead the viewer.

"The photographer has denied deliberately attempting to manipulate the image, saying that he was trying to remove dust marks and that he made mistakes due to the bad lighting conditions he was working under," said Moira Whittle, the head of public relations for Reuters.

"This represents a serious breach of Reuters' standards and we shall not be accepting or using pictures taken by him," Whittle said in a statement issued in London.

Hajj worked for Reuters as a non-staff freelance, or contributing photographer, from 1993 until 2003 and again since April 2005.

He was among several photographers from the main international news agencies whose images of a dead child being held up by a rescuer in the village of Qana, south Lebanon, after an Israeli air strike on July 30 have been challenged by blogs critical of the mainstream media's coverage of the Middle East conflict.

Reuters and other news organisations reviewed those images and have all rejected allegations that the photographs were staged.

[jefferson31415]

"Hajj worked for Reuters as a non-staff freelance, or
contributing photographer, from 1993 until 2003 and again
since April 2005."

Just imagine how many lies have been told and the amount
of fraudulent journalism that has been perpretrated by this
guy in this last decade!

[Sabatier]

That's a very good link. I like his comment about the photographer's excuse that it was too dark to see what he was doing: "Bad lighting on a computer screen?"
Ha, ha. That was the worst Photoshop job I've ever seen. Pathetic.

[Semi Civil Servant]

"The photographer has denied deliberately attempting to manipulate the image, saying that he was trying to remove dust marks and that he made mistakes due to the bad lighting conditions he was working under," said Moira Whittle, the head of public relations for Reuters.

I'd like to know the methodology that allows retouching digital images by candle light rather than by using the traditional computer monitor.

[humblegunner]

It gets worse.

A few minutes later he photographed Giant Patrick and SpongeBob trampling Beirut...

[Malacoda]

That cloud DOES look suspiciously like the Dark Mark...

[humblegunner]

That cloud DOES look suspiciously like the Dark Mark...

I fear Voldemort is heavily involved in the middle east.

[NautiNurse]

Reuters is pleased to announce their new freelance photographer - Nanda Jjah.

[PA-RIVER]

All is fair in love and war.

At least we know that Reuters is now a tool for Hezbola, and no longer a news agency.

So if the IDF see's a guy with Press credentails or a camera, he is now a legitimate target. Aim and pull the trigger!

[OldFriend]

Rooters has only the photographer's word that the photograph at Cana was NOT staged.

That hardly qualifies as unvarnished truth.

However, I understand they have hired Jayson Blair to replace the dismissed photographer.

[Mo1]

He was among several photographers from the main international news agencies whose images of a dead child being held up by a rescuer in the village of Qana, south Lebanon, after an Israeli air strike on July 30 have been challenged by blogs critical of the mainstream media's coverage of the Middle East conflict.

Well ain't that special .. he photographed Helmet Man too, huh???

[Mark-in-Kentucky]

He was just trying to erase that pesky tornado to make it look like the Israelis did it.

[LibSnubber]

"At least we know that Reuters is now a tool for Hezbola, and no longer a news agency.

We knew that before - it's just that now we have proof - unmitigated proof - they're in the propaganda (not news) business.

[dfwgator]

A few minutes later he photographed Giant Patrick and SpongeBob trampling Beirut...

That picture is obviously doctored.

It was Plankton that was trampling Beirut.

[TheSpaceCoyote]

Compare this picture from Qana to this picture from Tyre. Both vehicles have the number 125. Any significance??

[humblegunner]

It was Plankton that was trampling Beirut.

Paging someone with the Cartoon Network...

[PistolPaknMama]

was trying to remove dust marks and that he made mistakes due to the bad lighting conditions he was working under

Too funny! I'm a PhotoShop novice and could have done a better job. If the lighting is bad you just keep clicking the clone tool over and over? And those pesky dust marks! Let's add some really black smoke over here to hide the dust marks. The photographer is no more believable than his photo.

[GATOR NAVY]

http://www.eureferendum.blogspot.com

That's been a hot site. Really great stuff.

EUReferendum hereby announces the creation of the annual Green Helmet Award for the crassest example of journalism being manipulated for the promotion of terrorism and terrorist organizations. The runner up will receive the White Tee-Shirt Award.

[claudiustg]

None of their photographs or their reporting can be trusted then!

[Blogger]

If you search his photos, many look completely staged.

[tgslTakoma]

So Adnan Hajj got caught (by alert and skeptical bloggers - not by al Reuters editors), and is fired.

He'll just change his name and continue to supply doctored, fake, staged photos to al Reuters; and al Reuters will wink and continue doing business with him.

That's what I'm figuring.