A few days ago when I blogged on "Blogging and War: Can Technology
change Social Processes?"
(http://www.socinfo.com/blogsofwar/technologyandsocialprocesses),
I chose not to address the issue of ethics involved in journalism
and the unbiased report of happenings from the field.

The issue has turned up a lot earlier than what I expected with
the recent scandal involving the distribution by Reuters to the
global media of doctored photos from a freelance photographer.

Now, this is not a casual photoblogger. Although Adnan Hajj, a
Lebanese photographer based in the Middle East is indeed a
freelancer, he has been providing pictures to Reuters since
the early 90's and the New York Times has published eight of
his pictures (distributed by Associated Press and Reuters)
since March 2005.

Reuters announced severing all ties with the photographer and
removing 920 digital photographs from its picture archives.
However, a photograph submitted by another photograph found
in Reuters archives is identical to one submitted before the
scandal by Hajj. As a matter of fact, several of the pictures
submitted by this other photographer are quite similar and
from the exact same location as former photos submitted by
Adnan Hajj.

The fact that Reuters, a well established news agency known for
its commitment to unbiased reports from the field, can fall
victim of photo alteration raises huge concern over the use
of the Internet to manipulate public opinion.

I guess we can find some relief in that the fraud was discovered
and denounced by bloggers, which may give us some hope and
support for argument of a "democratic" media through people
blogging from the field.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, I guess a explanatory
video is worth a million, so let's hear the news from CNN itself,
since I can not post the pictures without violating Reuters
copyrights and youtube videos remain in a grey legal area, I
posted the video on my blog...
http://www.socinfo.com/blogsofwar/ethics

Another, even more disturbing photo-staging story came out
yesterday, discovered and denounced by bloggers too. A dramatic
narrated photo sequence posted on-line by the New York Times
under the title "The NY Times Hezbollah Photo Dust Up" features
a local lebanese young man running to the rescue of survivors
at a bombed building, only to dramatically depict him a few
seconds later as a dead victim. Sweat can be observed on what
should be the cold dead body of the victim, wearing the same
shorts and the hat he was wearing in the previous pics, neatly
folded under his arm to avoid it from getting dirty.

-----

More Information and Sources on this story...

Bloggers Drive Inquiry on How Altered Images Saw Print
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/09/technology/09photo.html?ex=1312776000&en=032cb8629080a0c0&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Is Adnan Hajj two people?
http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/184242.php

Dead Man Walking: New York Times Busted in Hezbollah Photo Fraud!
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2006/08/new-york-times-busted-in-hezbollah.html

The New York Time "Turmoil in the MidEast" staged narrated
photo-sequence from July
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/world/20060727_MIDEAST_FEATURE/blocker.html
Nearby Wed Aug 9 18:17:08 2006