The Scrutinator

Freelance Lebonese reporter Adnan Hajj has been caught altering a photograph. Pajamas Media rounds things up. Reuters acknowledges that the photo was altered and has dropped Hajj.

Reuters appears reluctant to launch a full investigation, but bloggers are picking up the slack and finding more fraud. (And more.)

Mockery, as always, follows close behind.

Update, 8/7: Reuters pulls all 920 of Hajj's photos. Here's the letter I sent them:

I commend you for looking closer at Adnan Hajj's photographs.

For the sake of transparency and your organization's reputation, may I suggest making all his work available for public scrutiny? You could publish them in an ombudsman area apart from the news, and exactly as he submitted them (i.e., highest resolution, the names he gave each, all his notes, etc.).

Further, may I suggest you investigate his ties to Hezbollah? Perhaps a spot-audit of his phone records would be in order.

Finally, please carefully consider the distinction between faked and staged images, and your critics' arguments concerning each.

Best Regards, -Me, Chicago

By The Scrutinator @ 10:16 PM