Inside Politics

Tsk, tsk, tsk

Reuters has acknowledged that a photograph of Beirut after an attack by the Israeli air force was doctored using computer software — with black smoke enhanced to look worse than in an original shot by photographer Adnan Hajj.

“Reuters has suspended a photographer until investigations are completed into changes made to a photograph showing smoke billowing from buildings following an air strike on Beirut,” Reuters spokeswoman Moira Whittle said in a statement yesterday.

“Reuters takes such matters extremely seriously, as it is strictly against company editorial policy to alter pictures. As soon as the allegation came to light, the photograph … was removed from the file and a replacement, showing the same scene, was sent. The explanation for the removal was the improper use of photo-editing software,” she concluded.

Who spotted the faulty photo? Sharp-eyed observers from Web logs — Little Green Footballs (LGF), Left & Right and the Ace of Spades, among others — publicly took Reuters to task, accusing the service of using a Photoshop “clone” tool to repeat the spirals of smoke.

“This has to cast doubt not only on the photographer who did the alterations, but on Reuters’ entire review process. If they could let such an obvious fake get through to publication, how many more faked or ‘enhanced’ photos have not been caught?” said Charles Johnson of LGF.

Mr. Johnson previously played a large role in uncovering former CBS anchorman Dan Rather’s attempt to pass off phony documents claiming President Bush compromised his Vietnam-era military service. The bogus papers aired on “60 Minutes” in September 2004 — in the pivotal weeks before the presidential election.

Oh, Joe

There’s considerable interest in the political fate of Sen. Joe Lieberman during Connecticut’s Democratic primaries tomorrow.

“It’s clear that this is a race with national significance. People are watching the outcome. Can a Democrat who disagrees with his party’s position, by and large, on the war prevail in a closely fought primary?” Sen. Richard J. Durbin, Illinois Democrat, asked yesterday on C-SPAN.

He continued: “I hope he is our nominee. If he is not, the question will be asked, in terms of other races down the road: What impact does your position on the war have? I assume that in Connecticut, the war is a much bigger issue than in many other states, because of Joe Lieberman’s candidacy. And I also think it’s going to energize the electorate, probably on both sides.”

Ned’s ascendancy?

Memo to Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman: Pollster John Zogby predicted yesterday that Mr. Lieberman would lose big time to his opponent, businessman Ned Lamont, who could become the poster boy for a newly energized Democratic Party.

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