L.A. Times Photographer Fired Over Altered Image

www.poynter.org ^ | 4/3/03 | Kenny F. Irby

[RLJVet]

I LOVE it.

[Utah Girl]

I don't feel sorry for the photographer at all. Soldiers have to make harder decisions under the worst of conditions, they're life or death decisions, and usually end up the right way . This guy had to decide to send a manipulated photo or not? And used the excuse that he was tired and smelled like a goat??? Give me a break.

[js1138]

Room for one more?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

First blink, I could see it'd been altered.
There are plenty of real pictures...

[xm177e2]

You've got to admit the doctored photo is pretty good, in terms of artistic merit. Let's admire it for a few minutes before hanging this traitor.

[thepitts]

Altering the photo is one thing but what was the point? Am I missing something?

[ibme]

No accident. Trying to make it look like the rifle is pointed at the baby.

Another suicide reporter.

Goodby scum.

[thepitts]

It doesnt look like the rifle is pointed at the child in any of the photo's.

[Jerez2]

Yeah, it's more dramatic. It makes it look like the US soldier is halting/threatening a man who's rushing his injured child out of harm's way.

And the photographer was 'tired' and that's why he took the EXTRA TIME to slander the US soldier in this way??? I don't buy it! He did it to push the party line -- the Demo-Comm-Baath line! I'm glad he was fired, he should be left in the desert until he comes to appreciate soldiers like the one he slandered with his photo.

[Bullish]

the Los Angeles Times, a newspaper with the highest standards of journalism

I read this and I fell off my chair laughing!

Then I read this:

but the integrity of our organization is essential. If our readers can't count on honesty from us, I don't know what we have left."

And I was rolling on the floor laughing so hard I couldn't even finish reading the article.

[Milwaukee_Guy]

This probably happens more often than we would like.

PBS ran some pollution thing and falsified locations and events. Remember the exploding Chevy pickup debacle? Tornado videos are often altered and misrepresented by the media. The car chase videos we all see now have a lot of "live" commentary added -after- the fact. Ever notice how the excited voice in the helicopter can "anticipate" what the cops or the bad guy will do?

Very common in these cases to add sound effects, commentary and locations that were never present in the original video.

The media even has a name for it, it's called "sweetening". Now we have to wonder if the images themselves are real or enhanced.

Like any bad habit, once you start it is hard to quit.

[KC Burke]

With heavy drama and wordy theatrics, this gazillion dollar newspaper monopoly fires a photog for doing, unasked, what they pay and instruct their writers, reporters, columnists and editorialists to do every day. The irony is delicious.

[lodwick]

What a hose job.

[Cleburne]

In the first photo the man with the child is standing up and moving away from the soldier. In the second photo the man andchild have moved slightly away, and the soldier is pointing the gun at them. The difference lies in the proximity of the pointed gun to the child. In both photos the gun is pointed towards the child, but in the altered the effect is heightened due to the closeness of the soldier and the child.

[JudyB1938]

Although what the photographer was wrong to do what he did, I think his employer is using him as a scapegoat in trying to present themselves as honorable journalists. FOX has gotten to them. They are trying to find some way, ANY way, to obtain credibility.

[Roscoe]

With heavy drama and wordy theatrics, this gazillion dollar newspaper monopoly fires a photog for doing, unasked, what they pay and instruct their writers, reporters, columnists and editorialists to do every day. The irony is delicious.

Well summarized.

[Wondervixen]

I think a trial for perpetrating a fraud for treasonous purposes and a sentence of 15 years to make an example of this rat bastard is perfectly in order.

[Walnut]

what is with these reporters? I don't get it

[Utah Girl]

That's exactly what I was thinking. The LA Times spins pretty much every story and column, so what is wrong with a photographer graphically showing what most reporters think?