Photoshop as an Ideological Tool
A Photoshopped photograph of Robert Gates
Earlier today, Arif Rafiq posted a link to the above picture on his Twitter feed and asked, “Uh, is there something wrong with this photo?” There is something seriously amiss with the photo, which was published by The Nation. The photograph shows the US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates posing in front of both the US and Israel flags. Both look closely and you will notice a couple of odd things about the photo. For one, the Israel flag is fluttering while the US flag is stationery, indicating that the former flag was photographed outdoors and the latter indoors. Then, the dimensions and sizes of the two flags are completely out of proportion. This photograph has been Photoshopped, and very crudely at that.
The original photograph of Robert Gates
Newsline’s Creative Consultant Danish Khan confirmed that the photograph had been Photoshopped. He was also able to find the two original photographs that had been used to create this new one. Do a Google Images search for “Robert Gates” and the first result is the photographed used by The Nation. The flag that has been shoehorned into the Robert Gates picture can be viewed here.
The Nation’s motivations for this trickery are obvious. According to the editorial agenda the newspaper has been pursuing since Shireen Mazari replaced Arif Nizami as the editor, there is a US-Israel-India plot against Pakistan. These three countries, The Nation believes, are also responsible for the spate of terrorist attacks in the country. Showing Robert Gates posing in front of both flags is meant to represent his dual loyalties. The Nation has gone so far as to claim, without any evidence whatsoever, that The Wall Street Journal’s Matthew Rosenberg was a spy, forcing him to flee the country. The Nation was condemned by 21 international newspapers for that story. The paper has also been publishing story after story over the past few months on the alleged presence of Blackwater operatives in Pakistan.
The photograph of an Israel flag that was Photoshopped into the Robert Gates photograph
I have been trying to contact The Nation’s editor Shireen Mazari for a comment on the Photoshopped photograph and will post an update here if I hear back from her.
The opinions expressed in this article and the views shared by readers in the comment forum below do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance or policies of Newsline.
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“Newsline’s Creative Consultant Danish Khan confirmed that the photograph had been Photoshopped.”
Are you kidding me? You needed a creative consultant to confirm that?!
BTW, the News didn’t Photoshop it, they stole it from the Rupee News site (see the left hand side margin, below the picture of Malalai Joya).
Here’s the direct URL to the image:
http://moinansari.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/u-s-defense-secretary-robert-gates.jpg
The question is why such an image was used when Israel had no part of the story. Also, how did the image get from Rupee News to the Nation? The image is not something that is easily found by Googling. Maybe Moin Ansari (head honcho of Rupee News and, apparently, American Joint Multifaith Association, amongst others) moonlights from his New Jersey home as picture editor for the News?
Tan: Thanks for the info, although I don’t feel that absolves The Nation. They should have known it was Photoshopped and should never have used it.
And “Newsline’s Creative Consultant Danish Khan confirmed that the photograph had been Photoshopped” sounds a lot more official than “Danish and I were discussing it on GTalk.”
They should have known it was Photoshopped and should never have used it.
I don’t see why they should never have used it just because it’s clearly Photoshopped. Plenty of reputable news agencies use and compose the Photoshopped montages to help illustrate a story. I guess the issue for me is why someone at the News thought this particular image (Bob Gates & the Israeli flag) was suitable for a “US may give more help to Pak against al-Q” story. Of course it’s about political agenda but I’m curious how this particular image was selected given that it’s not so easy to find. Are the folks at the News a big fan of Rupee News & Moin Ansari?
The newspaper that used it was The Nation, not The News. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they were huge fans of Rupee News. Both believe that the Indians/US/Israel are behind the Taliban terrorist attacks.
News organizations never use Photoshopped images in common news stories. Magazines sometimes use them for covers and feature stories to make a point they way they use cartoons. But a news story which is supposed to be unbiased should never use a loaded image. And given The Nation’s past antics, I’m convinced they were trying to pass this off as a genuine photograph.
Sorry, my apologies to the News.
I’ve seen news organizations use photo-montages (which I would also classify the image we are discussing) to illustrate stories. It’s very common to see it. Photoshopping (which, in this context, I would define as altering an image so as to present something which is patently false as fact, eg. Bob Gates in front of the Israeli and US flags) is not so common. The distinction needs to be drawn.
I agree that a news story that is supposed to be unbiased should never use such an obviously loaded photo.
I don’t see how anyone, beside the most ignorant and/or simple-minded, would think the image was a genuine photograph.
@ TAN: no its not a common practice to use photoshoped images to use with news/event based article, its called tampering the image and people usually get fired if they alter pics in this manner all over the world. one can use photo illustrations to illustrate certain types of articles such as an article on suicides but then it would be called photo illustration or a montage and will be duly credited as such.
Dear Editor:
Much a do about nothing—a mountain out of a molehill. As Shakespeare said===”a tale told by an idot–full of sound and fury–signigying nothing”
Not sure why you guys have your panties on a wad–its not as if Mr. Gates is shown with child porn or something—he is shown of two flags—the picture was originally taken when he was with Israeli leaders and was used in that context.
The same pic was used in this story too.
PS: I don’t moonlight for The Nation or the News.
Editor Rupee News
Moin Ansari
Moin Ansari: The matter is one of journalistic ethics. The Nation lied to its readers by presenting it as a genuine picture when it wasn’t. It’s no different to making up facts in a story.
The eagle in the “original picture” as you put it is also photshopped there–as is the face of Gates which is touched up
>>Plenty of reputable news agencies use and compose the Photoshopped montages to help illustrate a story
What journalistic ethic? Who said it was a “picture”. Millions of these sorts of images are posted on the internet. I can show you millions of images like like this.
“This photoshopping” is entirely within the context
If the Israeli flag is so objectionable to you guys, why don’t you sue The Nation?
Here is another “photoshpped image” for your “creative consultant”–this should keep him busy for another week with his “investigation.
https://w1.buysub.com/pubs/N3/NYR/convert_2009_nyr_calendar.jsp?cds_page_id=70926&cds_mag_code=NYR&id=1260674940923&lsid=93462129009018830&vid=1&cds_response_key_gift=X9IIBAEM&cds_response_key=I9INAAEB
Lead your next charge against the New Yorker–don’t open the magazine, you will see hundreds of images in there–enough material to last you a lifetime
Don’t ever read Time or Newsweek—else your Don Quixote and Sancho Panza will chase windmills and think that they are Turkish armies
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,980663,00.html
Editor Rupee News
http://www.rupeenews.com
How is inserting an Israeli flag into the photograph “within the context” of a story that has nothing to do with Israel?
You said, “Who said it was a picture?”
Of course its a picture. And it accompanies a straight news report. No reputable would ever do that.
And The New Yorker uses cartoons, not photographs. The Time link you posted doesn’t have any photographs at all so I don’t know why you posted it.
Shireen is a MOssad CiA agent
Proof
http://i50.tinypic.com/2118g8j.jpg
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