ADNAN HAJJ / Reuters
A Lebanese protester chanted slogans inside the torched Danish Embassy in Beirut yesterday.
Posted on 08/07/2006 3:10:52 PM PDT by RightOnTheLeftCoast
Edited on 08/07/2006 5:13:46 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Reuters withdraws all photos by freelancer
Aug 7, 12:20 PM (ET)
LONDON (Reuters) - Reuters withdrew all 920 photographs by a freelance Lebanese photographer from its database on Monday after an urgent review of his work showed he had altered two images from the conflict between Israel and the armed group Hizbollah.
Global Picture Editor Tom Szlukovenyi called the measure precautionary but said the fact that two of the images by photographer Adnan Hajj had been manipulated undermined trust in his entire body of work.
"There is no graver breach of Reuters standards for our photographers than the deliberate manipulation of an image," Szlukovenyi said in a statement.
"Reuters has zero tolerance for any doctoring of pictures and constantly reminds its photographers, both staff and freelance, of this strict and unalterable policy."
The news and information agency announced the decision in an advisory note to its photo service subscribers. The note also said Reuters had tightened editing procedures for photographs from the conflict and apologized for the case.
Removing the images from the Reuters database excludes them from future sale.
Reuters ended its relationship with Hajj on Sunday after it found that a photograph he had taken of the aftermath of an Israeli air strike on suburban Beirut had been manipulated using Photoshop software to show more and darker smoke rising from buildings.
An immediate enquiry began into Hajj's other work.
It established on Monday that a photograph of an Israeli F-16 fighter over Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon and dated Aug 2, had also been doctored to increase the number of flares dropped by the plane from one to three.
"Manipulating photographs in this way is entirely unacceptable and contrary to all the principles consistently held by Reuters throughout its long and distinguished history. It undermines not only our reputation but also the good name of all our photographers," Szlukovenyi said.
"This doesn't mean that every one of his 920 photographs in our database was altered. We know that not to be the case from the majority of images we have looked at so far but we need to act swiftly and in a precautionary manner."
The two altered photographs were among 43 that Hajj filed directly to the Reuters Global Pictures Desk since the start of the conflict on July 12 rather than through an editor in Beirut, as was the case with the great majority of his images.
Filing drills have been tightened in Lebanon and only senior staff will now edit pictures from the Middle East on the Global Pictures Desk, with the final check undertaken by the Editor-in-Charge, Reuters said.
Hajj worked for Reuters as a non-staff contributing photographer from 1993 until 2003 and again since April 2005. Most of his work was in sports photography, much of it outside Lebanon.
Hajj was not in Beirut on Monday and was not responding to calls. He told Reuters on Sunday that the image of the Israeli air strike on Beirut had dust marks which he had wanted to remove.
Questions about the accuracy of the photograph arose after it appeared on news Web sites on Saturday.
Several blogs, including a number which accuse the media of distorted coverage of the Middle East conflict, said the photograph had been doctored.
And the MSM takes another body blow from the pajama brigade!
Maybe this belongs in Breaking News?
Yes, seeing Freeper Hadean broke this story by sending the suspicious first photo to Little Green Footballs.
HAA! I wonder how hard it would be to get all of the pics on this thread.
I also wonder if Rooters will release them to inform the public which ones were suspect.
"good job" ping!
ADNAN HAJJ / Reuters
A Lebanese protester chanted slogans inside the torched Danish Embassy in Beirut yesterday.
What really disgusts me is the fact that the photographer is the one taking all the blame. He deserves plenty of blame but Rooters can't claim they haven't been aware of it...again...and again...and again...
And how long have these photos been out there? Rooters evidently thinks their operation has been exhonerated now. WrrrrroooooonnnnnnnG!
same guy Adnan Hajj
http://powerlineblog.com/archives/014919.php 
The Reuters caption reads: "Journalists are shown by a Hizbollah guerrilla group the damage caused by Israeli attacks on a Hizbollah stronghold in southern Beirut, July 24 2006. (Adnan Hajj/Reuters)"
The Reuters caption reads: "A Lebanese woman looks at the sky as she walks past a building flattened during an overnight Israeli air raid on Beirut's suburbs August 5, 2006. (Adnan Hajj/Reuters)"
"Your call is very important to us."
"Ladies and gentleman, the control tower said they have just about cleared the aircraft in front of us and we will be departing in five minutes or so."
"Trust me, I'll respect you in the morning."
True dat? Don't think I've seen that mentioned on LGF, but I've slept a couple of times since this broke... ;>)
he Hajj trail and issues with Beirut Photos Recap.
As best I can tell, it started with the folks at EU Referendum and israelinsider questioning the Qana photos (this was picked up by Rush and others last week) Here are the most relevant posts at israelinsider and EU Referendum. "Qana the directors cut" and "The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" sort of sum it all up IMHO (see below)
Issue 1: Staging photos:
Milking it
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006_07_01_eureferendum_archive.html#115429339722244068
Hezbollywood? Evidence mounts that Qana collapse and deaths were staged
http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Diplomacy/8997.htm
Who is this Man?
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006_07_01_eureferendum_archive.html#115435464393966674
The Green Helmet mystery Continues
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_eureferendum_archive.html#115439598900887049
We Need to know the truth
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_eureferendum_archive.html#115444005168305521
Game, set and match
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_eureferendum_archive.html#115447994916688512
Stretcher Alley
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_eureferendum_archive.html#115453781580920185
"Vital to telling the story"
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_eureferendum_archive.html#115461060077719445
Alright, explain this one!
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_eureferendum_archive.html#115464788249249384
Qana - the director's cut
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006/08/qana-directors-cut.html
The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (Green Helmet & Co, shows up in Tyre)
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006_08_01_eureferendum_archive.html#115489272301235042
Issues 2: Doctored photos
Little Green Footballs uncovered an obviously doctored photo by Hajj
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=21956_Reuters_Doctoring_Photos_from_Beirut&only
It was quickly picked up here on FR
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1678470/posts
Reuters admitted the first photo (Beirut smoke) was doctored and suspended Hajj
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1678852/posts
A second doctored photo (F16) was identified by Jawa
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1678950/posts
Powerline blog exposes yet another suspect group of photos (same damage reported as new 12 days apart). Reuters calls the doctor, take 2
http://powerlineblog.com/archives/014919.php
Drinking from Home exposed more photos in "Extreme Makeover - Beirut Edition." This time, the same woman shown losing her home first in Southern Beirut on 7/22 and then in the "suburbs of Beirut" on 8/5
http://drinkingfromhome.blogspot.com/2006/08/extreme-makeover-beirut-edition.html
Reuters admitted the second photo was also doctored, fired Hajj and withdrew all 920 of his photographs at Reuters
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1679185/posts?q=1&&page=1#1
The smelly swine of the leftist MSM will go to ANY length to commit their crime against freedom, democracy, and the USA and its true allies.
Unbelievable how long this guy was allowed to fabricate without Reuters noticing the faintest glow of shining light.
Then, after revelations pop up comes a defense, then a suspension, then the point where Reuters felt an urge to pull strings as a kind of self whitewashing procedure.
Way to go..
Not quite breaking. Under different headlines, this is about the fourth post today.
"Manipulating photographs in this way is entirely unacceptable and contrary to all the principles consistently held by Reuters throughout its long and distinguished history. It undermines not only our reputation but also the good name of all our photographers," Szlukovenyi said.
Shouldn't the people that approved for publishing these obvious fakes ALSO be fired?? Seems to me they are takin action, deserved action, against the person that actually DID the faking, but the people that approved it are gettin off scott free?????
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