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2008-09-15 Home Front: Politix

The Atlantic Monthly will apologize to McCain for doctored photo

The editor of The Atlantic Monthly said Monday he is sending a letter of apology to John McCain after a woman the magazine hired to photograph the Republican presidential nominee posted manipulated pictures from the photo shoot on her Web site.

Photographer Jill Greenberg, who is vehemently anti-Republican and expressed glee that the photos would stir up conservative ire, took pictures of McCain for the cover of The Atlantic's October issue.

During the shoot, she took several other backlit pictures, which she then doctored and posted to her site. In one photo, she added blood oozing from McCain's shark-toothed mouth and labeled it with the caption "I am a bloodthirsty warmongerer." In another, a caption over McCain's head says, "I will have my girl kill Roe v. Wade," an obvious reference to his running mate Sarah Palin's anti-abortion positions.

Editor James Bennet said Greenberg behaved improperly and will not be paid for the session. He said the magazine is also considering a lawsuit.

"She has violated the terms of our agreement with her, of our contract with her so we're taking steps. So we're looking into what steps we can see to do something about that," Bennet told FOX News, adding that he is "already drafting a letter of apology" to McCain. "I mean this photographer went in there under our auspices to take a cover shot for us ... but while she was there she behaved in an incredibly underhanded and unprofessional way," he said. . . .
We get into a lot of bashing of the MSM 'round these parts due to bias and unprofessionalism. It's good to see The Atlantic standing up for proper journalistic standards. If you're gonna bash 'em when they're wrong, you gotta be willing to give 'em props when they get it right.
Greenberg said that the cover shot for The Atlantic article was manipulated to leave McCain's eyes red and skin looking bad. But Bennet said the magazine stands by the picture that made the front cover. He said the artwork went through editors' hands before going to print, and it is accompanied by "a terrific story" that is a comprehensive look at McCain's foreign policy.

"I think the cover shot is very respectful of John McCain. I think it's a good picture. People have to judge it for themselves," Bennet said, adding that he rejects Greenberg's characterizations of the shot.
Click through to see it. Apparently the Photoshop boys did a good job cleaning it up. He looks tough, determined, certain of himself.
"One of the nice things about this situation is people can look at the cover shot and make their own determination about whether or not it is fair to John McCain. I believe very strongly that it is," Bennet said.

Posted by Mike 2008-09-15 14:36|| || Front Page|| [5 views ] Top

#1 yes, it is nice to see them at least admitting that they hired a photographer who has embarrased them. However,it seems to me that they are only sorry they got caught.

Think about the Atlantic editors who do understand shadows and lighting looking at the proofs provided by this woman and picking this photo as the best available.

Had it not been McCain but their beloved Obama, I feel certain that they would have looked at the many proofs provided and not finding a suitable photo would have demanded a professional one and if she could not provide it - requested one from the McCain campaign.

The only reason they are backtracking now is because Greenberg bragged about it on her blog and posted those juvenile morphs and thus exposed what is now painfully obvious: that the Atlantic editors knowingly ran with the most unflattering portrait of McCain that they could reasonable get away with.

It is what it is. The Atlantic's Shocked!! Shocked!! is just meaningless damage control.

Posted by Betty Grating2215 2008-09-15 15:32|| 2008-09-15 15:32|| Front Page Top

#2 Atlantic Monthly? Never heard of it.

Posted by DarthVader 2008-09-15 15:38|| 2008-09-15 15:38|| Front Page Top

#3 This is not necessary, but it's a step in the right direction.

These journalists, especially the few who still have integrity, need to get a handle on their industry ASAP. They are already losing readership to the intertubes, and if they think their printable journalists draw alot of heat, wait until they are forced to pay some internet hack to write the online-only Atlantic Monthly.

Posted by Chris W. 2008-09-15 16:24|| 2008-09-15 16:24|| Front Page Top

#4 They just saved themselves: I was going to call this afternoon and cancel the subscription I've had since 1984.

Posted by Steve White 2008-09-15 16:59|| 2008-09-15 16:59|| Front Page Top

#5 Good thing they are PROFESSIONALS with standards and editorial oversight and all of that journalism stuff.

Posted by DMFD 2008-09-15 19:46|| 2008-09-15 19:46|| Front Page Top

#6 This is one of those Capt. Renault moments. (We're shocked, shocked, etc...)

I think the cover shot is very respectful of John McCain.

I think it looks like hell, but that seems to be typical of the photographer's work. You'll see that she was previously in a kerfuffle over her series of crying children called "End Times". Allegedly she got them to cry by offering candy and taking it away.

"The pieces were titled to reflect Greenberg's frustration with both the Bush administration and Christian Fundamentalism in the United States."

I must say that children crying over candy is an excellent metaphor for the mindset of Greenberg and her ilk.

Posted by Angie Schultz 2008-09-15 20:19|| 2008-09-15 20:19|| Front Page Top

#7 Betty and Angie are right. The photo is subtly shot to make McCain look old, mean and not quite healthy. This is an intentional hit job and the Atlantic is sorry only that it got called on it.

Posted by lotp 2008-09-15 21:35|| 2008-09-15 21:35|| Front Page Top

#8 According to Glen Reynolds at Instapundit , " James Bennet, -- who I know somewhat and think is an honest guy -- says they don't vet photographers for their politics, and they shouldn't. But this kind of pettiness and unprofessionalism is absolutely beyond the pale. Sadly, it's marked much of the media this election cycle."
It's really possible he had no idea this would happen and was embarresed by it. He has stated Greenberg would not be paid for this assignment. I don't know the guy but I'll take his word for it at the moment.

Posted by Deacon Blues">Deacon Blues 2008-09-15 21:39|| 2008-09-15 21:39|| Front Page Top

#9 . . . she got them to cry by offering candy and taking it away

Child abuse. It actually is. What a sick person.

Posted by ex-lib 2008-09-15 23:26|| 2008-09-15 23:26|| Front Page Top

01:38 Grom the Reflective
00:17 EMS Artifact