How skeptical are you of news photos?

Question

Consider last month's doctored burning Beirut photo by Adnan Hajj for Reuters:
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=21956_Reuters_Doctoring_Photos_from_Beirut&only
Here's Reuters' response:
http://www.popphoto.com/photographynewswire/2772/reuters-pulls-doctored-photo.html

More recently Katie Couric's photo was altered by CBS's photo dept. to make her look 20 pounds lighter:
http://www.popphoto.com/photographynewswire/2916/katie-couric-photo-airbrushed.html

For a bit of fun check out these examples of what people with Photoshop and some skill can create. I like Geisha Tom best:
http://www.worth1000.com/cache/contest/contestcache.asp?contest_id=11643&display=photoshop#entries

Who can forget the Condoleezza Rice demon eyes photo of 2005? Though I'm a liberal, I strongly disagree with what was done to Rice's photo. It's propaganda.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=47066

Should celebrity magazines have a different ethical standard?

If you want to learn more, see the article below. Though it's on the long side, you can skim for what you're interested in; plus, there are pictures and graphic illustrations. "Photo Fakery: Identifying falsified images can be straightforward if you know a few tricks.":
http://oemagazine.com/fromTheMagazine/jan05/photofakery.html

Answer 1

I'd be more skeptical of the news itself than the photos. Professionals can detect alterations to photos, but the news isn't all the facts, it is just the facts needed to sell papers or ads on the evening news broadcasts.

All the facts are too boring to be viable in today's entertainment climate.

Answer 2

I know. One can't even believe what they see anymore. All part of a conspiracy to create a collective neurosis? I almost think so.

Answer 3

wow!!! never paid that much attention to pictures!!!!

Answer 4

very