Monday, May 9, 2011

License to Edit

Everyone recognizes this picture.  It captures the iconic moment that President Obama and his national security team watched as the operation that ultimately killed Osama bin Laden unfolded.  Hillary Clinton's expression with her hand cupped over her mouth makes this picture what it is.

But a Hareidi newspaper, Der Tzitung, that is printed in  Brooklyn decided to delete Clinton straight out of the picture.  In fact, they also deleted Audrey Tomason, the national director of counterterrorism, who can be seen peeking through on the right side.  The paper deleted the women because printing photos of women in a newspaper is sexually suggestive and thereby inappropriate.  The paper deleted the women even though the White House Flicker page states that the picture may not be altered in any way. Should the editing that Der Tzitung engaged in be allowed if it is on religious grounds? How far is too far in this issue? 

3 comments:

  1. Wow that's really insane!

    Yes, sometimes news articles fail to include certain details that are important, but a picture is supposed to be a snapshot of history, of undeniable evidence that something occurred in a certain manner. Remember those doctored photos a couple years back that showed extra smoke pillars from supposed Israeli bombings? Seeing that made people believe certain things about the situation that were just not true.

    I think that is would have been better for them to not print the picture at all if it was really an issue that Clinton was in it. Doctoring a photo like this (especially one that the White House has said may not be altered) is definitely not ok.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree with Naomi, I think that by altering the photo it doesn't represent what truly happened in that room. As you mentioned above Hilary Clinton's face adds a lot to the photo and I think that if they really think it's so inappropriate then they shouldn't show the image at all.

    ReplyDelete
  3. WOW ! i agree with Naomi, if they were going to take out the women from the picture they should not have shown it at all. I am surprised to see that they would do that especially since it is going against the rules stating any editing may not be done.

    ReplyDelete