Posted on 08/07/2006 12:13:35 AM PDT by Sarah
Reuters scandal demands an outside investigation
Reuters now admits supplying the world’s media with crude propaganda pictures, faked by an Arab photographer. The agency’s journalistic standards are now a global laughingstock. If the agency hopes to regain credibility it must appoint an outside panel of experts to review other work of the same photographer, including the controversial photos supplied from Qana.
Reuters has informed Adnan Hajj that they will not accept any more of his work. He is now identified as a “free lance photographer.” The agency also notes
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. [emphasis added]
However, as Michelle Malkin pointed out, the Reuters website claims the following
“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.”
Which begs the question of what kind of quality standards would allow a crudely Photoshopped picture to run? How is the review of the Qana pictures by Hajj any different from the scrutiny applied to the Beirut pictures by Hajj?
Since Reuters now acknowledges that it has been hoaxed, and in turn has hoaxed the world’s media, doesn’t it owe us a detailed explanation of its standards? Shouldn’t the review of the Qana pictures be put into the hands of an independent panel of experts.
Shouldn’t Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs be part of that independent review panel? After all, Reuters owes him a debt of gratitude for uncovering a mistake their own quality assurance standards were inadequate to detect.
IF (and it must now be regarded as a serious question) Reuters is committed to supplying the world with truth rather than phony propaganda, Reuters must acknowledge the inadequacy of its standards. It must therefore immediately and thoroughly apply higher standards to all of the work it has published by Hajj, including the Qana pictures.
If Reuters continues to use its proven-inadequate internal procedures to vouch for the accuracy of it Qana pictures, those reassurances cannot be regarded as worthy of respect.
Thomas Lifson 8 06 06
Reuters outsourcing to terrorists and terrorist sympathizers
Their incredulity can only be due to inherent bias.
(or drinking)
"Reuters scandal demands an outside investigation"
Don't hold your breath.
That's just freakin' amazing! Hezbollah's arrogance is astonishing...but look on the bright side - he certainly made it easier for the IDF to "get in touch" with him. :^)
Now?? We all said this for years here in FR...LOL!
Ok, where on earth did you get that?
And I thought I'd gone through LGF pretty thoroughly.
Also surprising is that the Reuter's sourced death threat goes back to May!
'...I was just wondering why it is written in English'
Doesn't that just show that they are focused on impacting the American public essentially.
There should be a serious investigation of their previously publish pictures as well. Who knows how many other fakes will turn up.
One of the bloggers with access to his whole body of work is doing just that.
re:REUTERS' HIJACKING LEBANON'S ANSWER TO THE UN?
Similar thoughts occurred to me concerning the constant referral to the concept of "How much time will Israel be given to root out Hesbulla" articles.
Who brought up this idea? I've NEVER seen any reference to time limits imposed by the US, and who cares what Europe says, and the UN is bankrupt, so WHO made this a refrain in articles referencing Israel's military campaign?
like this one:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20042544-38200,00.html
Their CREDULITY can only be due to inherent bias.
... and yes I am drinking.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060730/photos_wl_me_afp/9034cf170a188a04a5e80bd48812ca98
(AFP/Ramzi Haidar)
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