Bloggers Catch Fake Photos

C|Net News is reporting that Adnan Hajj, a Lebanese freelance photographer, has been found altering photographs of the Israel-Lebanon war. The pictures in question involve digitally created plumes of smoke, meant to convey a greater sense of destruction than actually took place.

Reuters, who had hired the freelancer to take photos for distribution to newspapers all over the world, is still investigating as to why the photos didn't pass editorial muster.

The story broke when bloggers (Who Are Not Journalists In Any Form Or Fashion™) made assertions as to their dubious origins.

The biggest question the article raises is the concern of how long this has been going on--not just by Adnan Hajj, but by other journalists as well? As the digital age continues to enable ordinary people to make simple manipulations of photos, the situation really begs the question of journalistic integrity.