A simple rule

A picture ought to show what the camera and photographer saw. It's the essence of truth-telling. It's the basis of journalism.

Yet, it's happened again. A prominent photo has been found to be a lie. It isn't what the camera or the photographer saw. It was changed beyond recognition, tampered with, made into a "photo illustration" -- a euphemism, in this case, for "a lie."

And it didn't just happen in some podunk place where journalism is a joke. It happened in a national publication where the editors have had years of professional experience. More on this at JPROF.com.

Read more about journalism and issues facing the profession at JPROF.com.