(Propaganda Watch) NYT Retracts Russian-Photo Scoop - by Robert Parry
NYT Retracts Russian-Photo Scoop
April 23, 2014
Exclusive: After starting a propaganda stampede with a lead story about photos of Russian troops purportedly in Ukraine the New York Times admits the pictures really dont prove much, and one photo was labeled as snapped in Russia when it was really taken in Ukraine, writes Robert Parry.
By Robert Parry
Two days after the New York Times led its editions with a one-sided article about photos supposedly proving that Russian special forces were behind the popular uprisings in eastern Ukraine, the Times published what you might call a modified, limited retraction.
Buried deep inside the Wednesday editions (page 9 in my paper), the article by Michael R. Gordon and Andrew E. Kramer two of the three authors from the earlier story has this curious beginning: A collection of photographs that Ukraine says shows the presence of Russian forces in the eastern part of the country, and which the United States cited as evidence of Russian involvement, has come under scrutiny.
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And, one of the photos featured by the Times in its Monday lead article, purportedly showing some of the armed men in Russia, was actually shot in the Ukrainian town of Slovyansk, according to Maxim Dondyuk, the freelance photographer who took the picture and posted it on his Instagram account.
Here is the tortured way the Times treated that embarrassing lapse in its journalistic standards: A packet of American briefing materials that was prepared for the Geneva meeting asserts that the photograph was taken in Russia. The same men are also shown in photographs taken in Ukraine.
Their appearance in both photographs was presented as evidence of Russian involvement in eastern Ukraine. The packet was later provided by American officials to The New York Times, which included that description of the group photograph in an article and caption that was published on Monday. The dispute over the group photograph cast a cloud over one particularly vivid and highly publicized piece of evidence.
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Read more: http://consortiumnews.com/2014/04/23/nyt-retracts-russian-photo-scoop/
jakeXT
(10,575 posts)The Ukrainian submission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe does not identify where the group photograph was taken but asserts that one prominently featured soldier was involved in operations in eastern Ukraine.
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Maxim Dondyuk, a freelance photographer who was working in Slovyansk principally for the Russian newsmagazine Russian Reporter, said that he had taken the group photograph there and posted it on his Instagram account.
It was taken in Slovyansk, he said in a telephone interview. Nobody asked my permission to use this photograph.
The BBC is facing criticism after it accidentally used a picture taken in Iraq in 2003 to illustrate the senseless massacre of children in Syria.
Photographer Marco di Lauro said he nearly fell off his chair when he saw the image being used, and said he was astonished at the failure of the corporation to check their sources.
The picture, which was actually taken on March 27, 2003, shows a young Iraqi child jumping over dozens of white body bags containing skeletons found in a desert south of Baghdad.
It was posted on the BBC news website today under the heading Syria massacre in Houla condemned as outrage grows.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/9293620/BBC-News-uses-Iraq-photo-to-illustrate-Syrian-massacre.html
representativepress
(43 posts)Thank you for keeping on top of the situation. I thought the U.S. response to being challenged on their claims was weak:
Do you have any counterpoints to offer for the latest U.S. propaganda they uploaded today?:
About Yanukovych, the "he left" excuse for why the coup was legitimate is ridiculous. I would like to list a few strong points to answer this video. If you want to record audio or video of any point you want to make I could included it in my new video deconstructing their propaganda. Or if you just want to post text, that's good too. I plan on recommending people read your journal just as have recommended http://www.moonofalabama.org/
Judi Lynn
(160,503 posts)At least you helped us learn about it quickly, and we most surely want and need to know.
Thank you for your skills, Catherina.