Look closely at the top photo, and then compare it to the two photos below.
The top photo appeared in the Los Angeles Times, with a caption explaining the activity. It was not until after the photo appeared that careful examination showed that it had been edited. The photographer took the two bottom pictures, edited them on his laptop, and sent them as an actual photo with no explanation.
The photo-event as printed by the LA Times did not take place, and they did not inform their readers that it was a composite photo. The times apologized to readers in print and fired the photographer.
What are the ethical ramifications of this type of photo manipulation? What’s real and what isn’t? What is the ethical basis for representing photos and how does it relate to this type of digital editing? To more serious editing where the full meaning of the photo is changed?
Department of Communication, Seton Hall University