Well, what do you know? Reuters News Service has admitted that it published at least two doctored photographs of the Israel-Hezbollah war. Both images were altered by the photographer, Lebanese cameraman Adnan Hajj, to portray Israeli attacks on Beirut as far more destructive than in reality. After public outcry, Reuters fired Hajj and withdrew his entire photographic output from its articles.
Retraction notwithstanding, mainstream media reporting on Israel is in a truly sorry state. Any discerning editor could have noticed Hajj's cheap Photoshop effects, and yet Reuters newsrooms remained fully silent and likely complicit. Of course this hardly feels as a surprise, given the media's general anti-Israel bent. But I didn't think Reuters would sink quite this low.
And yet indeed they have, which has prompted a few thoughts that I'll outline here:
First, the scary one. If Reuters doctors photographs, what's the chances it also doctors text? I'd place good odds on 100%. The news service has proven to be untrustworthy, and if its images lie, the content of its Israel articles must be suspect as well. Reuters pieces are frequently flagged by HonestReporting.com for anti-Israel bias, and it's often a very short path from unjust slant to outright fakery. The collective damage from such unbalanced reporting is incalculable.
On the flipside, however, the episode has clearly demonstrated the power of blogs and alternative media. The doctored photos were exposed not internally, but by well-known blog (and TheSolidSurfer.com Blogroll link) Little Green Footballs. And not only did the quackery go public, the public forced Reuters to take action. Just a decade ago, this likely never would have been possible. The blogosphere's ascent has mirrored the mainstream media's decline.
Finally, the incident has only confirmed how I believe Israel should conduct its media strategy. Tell the truth and only the truth. Don't sink to the enemy's desperate level. As long as Israel properly spreads the message, the truth will speak for itself. This should be an effective component of the Jewish state's plan for victory.
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