Adnan Hajj photographs controversy

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Adnan's digitally altered photograph of the aftermath of an IDF attack on Beirut, the photograph that got Hajj suspended from Reuters. (Smoke was digitally added.)
Adnan's digitally altered photograph of the aftermath of an IDF attack on Beirut, the photograph that got Hajj suspended from Reuters. (Smoke was digitally added.)
Before and after image manipulation.
Before and after image manipulation.
Digitally altered photograph of an IAF F-16 deploying a single flare over Southern Lebanon; the flare was digitally duplicated to make it appear that several missiles were being fired.
Digitally altered photograph of an IAF F-16 deploying a single flare over Southern Lebanon; the flare was digitally duplicated to make it appear that several missiles were being fired.

The Adnan Hajj photographs controversy (also called Reutersgate) involves photographs taken by Adnan Hajj, a Lebanese freelance photographer based in the Middle East, who had worked for Reuters over a period of more than 10 years. Hajj's photographs were presented as part of Reuters' news coverage of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, but Reuters have admitted that at least two were significantly manipulated before being published.[1]

After blogger Charles Johnson of Little Green Footballs wrote that that the first image "shows blatant evidence of manipulation",[2] Reuters "killed" the 'photograph' and admitted that the photographer had altered it, saying "photo editing software was improperly used on this image. A corrected version will immediately follow this advisory. We are sorry for any inconvenience."[3] Head of PR Moira Whittle said: "Reuters takes such matters extremely seriously as it is strictly against company editorial policy to alter pictures."[3]

The second manipulated image was reported by the pseudonymous blogger "Rusty Shackleford" of the blog "My Pet Jawa".[4] Reuters captioned it as showing an Israeli F-16 fighter jet firing ground-attack missiles "during an air strike on Nabatiyeh", but the F-16 was actually deploying defensive flares and the original photograph showed only one flare.[5]

Bloggers also found two photographs by Hajj that appear to show the same scene of destruction, with a distinctive building in the middle background. The Reuters caption on one said "journalists are shown by a Hizbollah guerrilla group the damage caused by Israeli attacks on a Hizbollah stronghold in southern Beirut, July 24, 2006" and the other depicted a "Lebanese woman ...[walking] past a building flattened during an overnight Israeli air raid on Beirut's suburbs 5 August 2006."[6]

Another blogger found a photograph by Hajj which showed a woman whose apartment he claimed was destroyed by an Israeli bomb on July 22, and another photograph, apparently of the same woman, whose house Hajj claimed was destroyed on August 5.[7]

On August 6, Reuters announced it would stop all cooperation with Adnan Hajj.[8]. Hajj claimed he had just been trying to remove dust marks, and that he made mistakes due to the bad lighting conditions he was working under. Critics point out that this is impossible, as Hajj's doctored image added an entire plume of smoke, duplicated several buildings, and showed a repeating pattern indicating that one plume of smoke was "cloned" several times.[9][10]

On August 7, Reuters decided to withdraw all 920 photos by Hajj from sale.[8] Nevertheless, as of 10 March 2007, Reuters still had several images by Hajj on its websites,[11][12] including one taken in Lebanon in February 2006.[13]

On January 18, 2007 Reuters reported that an internal investigation into the Adnan Hajj photomanipulation had led to a top Reuter photo editor being fired.[14]

The charges against Hajj took place within a larger context of many allegations about misleading photographs coming out of the Israel-Lebanon conflict; see 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict photographs controversies. These allegations included charges that Hajj also staged photographs, including images of a rescue worker retrieving the body of a child killed in Israel's bombardment of Qana.[15]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Smoke and Mirrors: Reuters Dismisses Photog Over Doctored Beirut Picture", Editor and Publisher, August 6, 2006. Retrieved on August 7, 2006.
  2. ^ Reuters Doctoring Photos from Beirut?. Little Green Footballs (August 5, 2006). Retrieved on August 7, 2006.
  3. ^ a b "Reuters admits altering Beirut photo". Ynetnews (August 6, 2006). Retrieved on August 7, 2006.
  4. ^ Another Fake Reuters Photo from Lebanon. The Jawa Report (August 6, 2006). Retrieved on August 7, 2006.
  5. ^ "Reuters admits to more image manipulation". Ynetnews (August 7, 2006). Retrieved on August 7, 2006.
  6. ^ Reuters calls the doctor, take 2. Power Line (August 6, 2006). Retrieved on August 7, 2006.
  7. ^ Extreme Makeover - Beirut Edition. Drinking From Home (August 6, 2006). Retrieved on August 8, 2006.
  8. ^ a b "Reuters drops Beirut photographer", BBC, August 8, 2006. Retrieved on October 10, 2006.
  9. ^ Al-Reuters Doctors War Photos In Lebanon Captain's Quarters, 5 August 2006
  10. ^ Bad Photoshopping saves the day LAYOUT editor's blog, 14 August 2006
  11. ^ Google search for "site:reuters.com REUTERS/Adnan Hajj" (finds several photographs of the 2006 FIFA World Cup)
  12. ^ Search on Reuters website for "Adnan Hajj" (4 hits as of 10 March 2007)
  13. ^ Photograph by Adnan Hajj. "A Lebanese Muslim Shi'ites man talks on his mobile", Reuters, 9 February 2006. Retrieved on March 10, 2007.
  14. ^ Daryl Lang. "Reuters Investigation Leads To Dismissal Of Editor", Photo District News, January 18, 2007. Retrieved on January 18, 2007.
  15. ^ Kathleen Parker (August 9, 2006). Manipulating History. Chicago Tribune.

[edit] External links

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