ABCNews.com Overlays Bush Picture Into One of Gaza Wreckage

Correction (Feb. 10, 2009): Corrected from original reporting attributing AP and Getty with the photo editing. In fact it was ABCNews.com, not AP or Getty Images that overlaid the Bush photo on the Gaza rubble photo. AP and Getty Images supplied the respective photos.  Thanks to the folks at StinkyJournalism.org for pointing out the error.

I guess, since flat-out fauxtography as practiced in 2006 in the Middle East has become so difficult, and has been shown as likely to be detected, that the press has decided to go with "creative" image placement to do the dirty work that must be done to create sympathy for Hamas and antipathy towards President Bush and the United States.

For "some reason," the editors at ABCNews.com placed President Bush's image at its bottom right. The photo compilation (shown above) accompanied a report by Miguel Marquez and Simon McGregor-Wood that appears to have also run on the network's "World News" program.

The wreckage in the photo purports to be "the destroyed house of Hamas leader of Nizar Rayan following an Israeli air strike the day before in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip" (given the state of reporting out of the region, one never knows for sure).

There is no good reason for Mr. Bush's picture to be included, since:

• He had nothing to do with the attack.
• The United States had nothing to do with the attack.
• Both he and the United States, as far as I know, have not anything specific to indicate that they were particularly supportive of this specific attack.

There are, however, really bad reasons for the photo placement or those who don't read the accompanying article:

• It associates Bush with the Gaza attack, perhaps even leading some to believe that he ordered it or was at least specifically supportive of it.
• The caption under the picture makes it appear as if Bush is dismissive of attacks such as these, and that his statement about a "one-way ceasefire" is uninformed.

It's enough to make you wonder how much influence the world press's Arab-state paymasters still have.

Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.