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Report on Reuters actions after publishing altered photographs (corporate statement)
Reuters ^ | January 18th, 2007 | David Schlesinger, Editor-in-Chief

Posted on 01/18/2007 11:17:27 AM PST by GMMAC

Report on Reuters actions after
publishing altered photographs


January 18th, 2007, filed by David Schlesinger


Last August, Reuters published and then withdrew two photographs from Lebanon that had been digitally altered.

At that time, we immediately terminated our relationship with the freelance photographer who took and altered the images and said we’d share with the public the results of our internal investigations.

Experienced photo editors and other senior editorial staff went through thousands of images published during the Lebanon conflict. We are satisfied no other images were digitally altered.

We were not satisfied with the degree of oversight that we had that allowed these two images to slip through. We have tightened procedures, taken appropriate disciplinary action and appointed one of our most experienced editors to supervise photo operations in the Middle East.

Stephen Crisp started in this role this month; most recently he managed the transition to Reuters of our Action Images subsidiary. A British citizen, he has run pictures operations in Europe, Asia and globally while working for Reuters since 1985.

His predecessor in the Middle-East role was dismissed in the course of the investigation for his handling of the case.

We called together our senior photographers to strengthen our existing exacting guidelines on ethical issues in photography and wrote a new code of conduct for photographers, appended to this note.

We have restructured our pictures editing operation to ensure that senior editors deal with all potentially controversial photographs, and we have ensured that shift leaders are focusing solely on quality issues instead of doing editing themselves.

In addition, we have invested in additional training and supervision, particularly in the area of digital workflow, where we have engaged external experts.

Finally, we are working with industry leaders to see if there are technical means we can devise to better recognize possible fraud.

We are fully satisfied, as we conclude our extensive investigation, that it was unfortunate human error that led to the inadvertent publication of two rogue photographs. There was absolutely no intention on Reuters part to mislead the public.

Our swift, strong response, however, both in the days immediately following and in the months since, has strengthened our commitment to our trust principles and our reputation as a respected global news provider which acts with integrity and transparency. We have shown that when mistakes are made we take responsibility and make changes.

Our enhanced guidelines and procedures are among the best in the industry. And I believe we are firm in our dedication to reporting the world truthfully, objectively and without bias, as we have done for more than 150 years.

A brief guide to Reuters values and standards

The use of Photoshop

David Schlesinger is Reuters Editor-in-Chief



TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: disingenuousness; lebanon; msmbias; nonaccountability
Elsewhere in the news:
"Leopard announces radical spot change !"

1 posted on 01/18/2007 11:17:28 AM PST by GMMAC
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To: GMMAC
"Let the goat be the gardener."
2 posted on 01/18/2007 11:18:53 AM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (BTUs are my Beat.)
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To: fanfan; Pikamax; Former Proud Canadian; Great Dane; Alberta's Child; headsonpikes; Ryle; ...

PING!
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

3 posted on 01/18/2007 11:18:56 AM PST by GMMAC (Discover Canada governed by Conservatives: www.CanadianAlly.com)
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To: GMMAC

"We are fully satisfied, as we conclude our extensive investigation, that it was unfortunate human error that led to the inadvertent publication of two rogue photographs. There was absolutely no intention on Reuters part to mislead the public."

ROFL..they made a funny..


4 posted on 01/18/2007 11:20:17 AM PST by GeorgiaDawg32 (I'm a Patriot Guard Rider..www.patriotguard.org for info..)
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To: GMMAC

The bias of Reuters is more than apparent in the printed word-we don't need photographs to confirm it.


5 posted on 01/18/2007 11:20:34 AM PST by Spok
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To: GMMAC

And how do they clean up their biased commentary?


6 posted on 01/18/2007 11:22:27 AM PST by OldFriend (THE PRESS IS AN EVIL FOR WHICH THERE IS NO REMEDY)
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel, WOT

..................

7 posted on 01/18/2007 11:24:44 AM PST by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn’t do!)
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To: GMMAC

"no other images were digitally altered"



One has to wonder, were any other images STAGED!?!?!?

If someone is willing to alter images, they have a purpose.

If they have a purpose, what else will they do to achieve it?

The question seems so obvious, you have to wonder why it was not addressed.


8 posted on 01/18/2007 11:27:05 AM PST by Paloma_55 (I may be a hateful bigot, but I still love you)
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To: GMMAC
Reuters Fauxtography at its best:


9 posted on 01/18/2007 11:27:40 AM PST by FormerACLUmember
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To: FormerACLUmember; All

10 posted on 01/18/2007 11:37:16 AM PST by WakeUpAndVote (Got towel?)
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To: OldFriend
"And how do they clean up their biased commentary? "

Don't hold your breath:
Many have now been waiting well over 7 decades for the New York Slimes to come up with a thorough repudiation of its former employee & vile, genocide nay-saying, Stalin apologist Walter Duranty together with a full & contrite apology for ever publishing his false, pro-communist garbage masquerading as responsible 'journalism'.


11 posted on 01/18/2007 11:41:08 AM PST by GMMAC (Discover Canada governed by Conservatives: www.CanadianAlly.com)
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To: GMMAC
We have restructured our pictures editing operation to ensure that senior editors deal with all potentially controversial photographs...........

Translation:

We will make sure that the photos are doctored at very high resolutions, so you won't know they are fake.

12 posted on 01/18/2007 12:00:30 PM PST by Candor7 (The hope of the West disappears into liberal flatulance, and who wants to be a smart feller?)
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To: GMMAC
We have restructured our pictures editing operation to ensure that senior editors deal with all potentially controversial photographs...........

Translation:

We will make sure that the photos are doctored at very high resolutions, so you won't know they are fake.

AND ......... Yesterday pigs were photographed flying South of Bagdad.....( only problem is that the reality challenged liberal whackos of America will believe it).

13 posted on 01/18/2007 12:01:35 PM PST by Candor7 (The hope of the West disappears into liberal flatulance, and who wants to be a smart feller?)
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To: GMMAC
"There was absolutely no intention on Reuters part to mislead the public."

Not withstanding the fact that the altered photos exactly matched our not-so-hidden agenda.

14 posted on 01/18/2007 12:02:34 PM PST by norwaypinesavage
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To: GMMAC
"it was unfortunate human error that led to the inadvertent publication of two rogue photographs. There was absolutely no intention on Reuters part to mislead the public."

Uh huh.

How about an internal investigation into why you were hiring some hand job, local arab to take the pictures in the first place? Or how about how many "staged" photos you printed...or maybe something addressing your in general predisposition towards anything that cast Israel in a bad light?

~eyeroll~

Anyway.

15 posted on 01/18/2007 1:15:22 PM PST by VaBthang4 ("He Who Watches Over Israel Will Neither Slumber Nor Sleep")
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To: WakeUpAndVote

ROTFLOL!


16 posted on 01/18/2007 1:16:36 PM PST by VaBthang4 ("He Who Watches Over Israel Will Neither Slumber Nor Sleep")
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