CNN explains why it altered photo of CBS' Lara Logan in Tahrir Square crowd
A CNN spokeswoman is explaining why the network decided to alter a photo of CBS News reporter Lara Logan, moments before she was allegedly brutally sexually assaulted while reporting from Tahrir Square in Cairo.
Show Tracker reported earlier that CNN had blurred the faces of the men in the background of the photo Wednesday night on "Anderson Cooper 360."
"The photo, which CBS said was taken before the attack, was being used on our air as we reported about the sexual assault," the spokeswoman said early Thursday. "We made a network-wide editorial decision to blur the faces of those around Logan because we didn't know if those in the photograph were involved in the attack or not."
Elsewhere, the photograph has been reproduced widely with no editing, including on latimes.com.
What do you think of CNN's explanation for its decision?
RELATED:
Lara Logan photo altered on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360"
— Scott Collins (Twitter: @scottcollinsLAT)
Photo: CNN altered a photo of CBS reporter Lara Logan, top, reporting from Egypt, just before the alleged sexual assault. The unaltered image appears below. Credit: Associated Press.
I can only image with about a zillion cameras out there that night, footage of what happened to the reporter is going to bleed into the Cloud soon. You can key off the banner behind her, which I am guessing about 5,000 video-editing monkeys are doing right now with their raw cuts. That's gonna suck for Lara Logan, tough as she is. I feel very bad for her.
Posted by: Paul | February 17, 2011 at 12:36 PM
The spokeswoman went on to ask, "Are there anymore silly questions?"
Posted by: MartyK | February 17, 2011 at 12:41 PM
If those in the picture were not involved in her attack, they may have knowledge of those who attacked her and thus would be of interest to any law enforcement agency.
The major question that comes to my mind is why CNN chose to do what they did when other news organizations did not blur the faces?
Posted by: Big Sam | February 17, 2011 at 12:42 PM
Why does the press always protect the identities of the perpatrators of crimes? I have never understood this. They always seem to ignore the privacy of victims as well.
Look at this topsey-turvey example, in which the victim of a sexual assult is in clear view and identified by name, yet the perpatrators identities are hidden.
Posted by: lwps | February 17, 2011 at 12:52 PM
Can't unring the bell. The original photo is out there and millions have seen it. Don't understand why CNN went to all the trouble of altering the pic.
My concern is that CBS (Logan's employer) a reputable news organization wouldn't release details of her assault and asked us all to "respect Logan's privacy". CBS and other news organizations consistently report the gory details of such assaults against women. So, they control how much news on this story we get? Hmmm.
Posted by: Mimi | February 17, 2011 at 12:59 PM
Why would a news service blur the faces of people in a public place, particularly a place in the news forefront? By simply being in public, are they not consenting to being photographed?
Posted by: Zonker | February 17, 2011 at 01:26 PM
I hope the despicable scum who harmed this brave woman are severly punished. While I understand that one is innocent until proven guilty, if the men behind her were in a public square, I'm not sure their privacy is paramount in this case.
God bless Lara Logan; may she recover and come back to reporting soon.
Posted by: vegasgirl | February 17, 2011 at 02:00 PM
The majority of the 60+ comments on your original piece suggested this was likely CNN's reasoning and were in support of it. Is this something like an Alaskan recount? "What I think" is that I was unfamiliar with you prior to this, and now associate you with traits I find less than admirable in a journalist.
Posted by: jmc | February 17, 2011 at 03:00 PM
Anyone who thinks that the perpetrators of this sexual assault will be brought to justice is mistaken and sadly misguided.
Under Islam, women are the equivalent of cattle.
Under Sharia, a woman’s worth is considered less than that of a man. See: A Woman’s Worth Relative to a Man’s (excerpts below).
From the Koran:
Qur’an (4:11) – (Inheritance) “The male shall have the equal of the portion of two females”(see also verse 4:176).
Qur’an (2:228) – “and the men are a degree above them [women]“
From the Hadith:
Muslim (4:1039) – “A’isha said [to Muhammad]: ‘You have made us equal to the dogs and the asses’”
Ishaq 969 – “Men were to lay injunctions on women lightly, for they were prisoners of men and had no control over their persons.” – This same text also justifies beating women for flirting."
There is no way you can expect justice from the people of Egypt. 200 men assaulted this woman, what does that along with the above tell you?
Posted by: PUMAbydesign001 | February 17, 2011 at 03:13 PM
You people are confused the reason CNN did it is because they wanted to make it appear as if the people behind her were the attackers because without it being blurred you can clearly tell the people behind the reporter were happy and celebrating one of them even giving her bunny ears and they were acting just like anyone else when their near a reporter so nothing suspicious but CNN wanted it to appear suspicious and thats why they blurred it. And most of the people attacking reporters are mubarak workers or government workers not people protesting. The people in the photo obviously did not do it and CNN makes up and exaggerates stories and so does the rest of the media get over it!
Posted by: riley | February 17, 2011 at 04:39 PM
@"lwps :
Why does the press always protect the identities of the perpatrators of crimes? I have never understood this. They always seem to ignore the privacy of victims as well."
What are you talking about? The press doesn't hide the identity of people accused of crimes or people convicted of crimes. Read a newspaper some time, you idiot.
The point of blurring the images of those men was that no one knows if they are the ones involved. You are drawing exactly the moronic inference that CNN was trying to prevent. You're assuming with no evidence that the men in that photo are the perpetrators. How dare you?
If you're standing near a place where a crime was committed, and you had nothing to do with it, how would you like it if the press plastered your face all over television leading morons like you to think that you are the criminal? Do you think or is your brain just a lump of inert material?
And identities of victims of sex crimes are almost always kept private. In this case the victim was a very famous person and there were many witnesses to the crime and she chose to reveal that she had been victimized several days after the actual crime. She chose to come forward. It was her decision.
You're so stupid it's a miracle that you're even alive.
Posted by: Mich | February 18, 2011 at 08:08 AM
Blurring the faces implies guilt. CNN linked those men in the background to the sexual assault. Prior to this they were bystanders.
Posted by: jik | February 18, 2011 at 09:08 AM
"allegedly brutally sexually assaulted "...ALLEGEDLY?? Very poor choice of words here...do you doubt that she was sexually assaulted?? You've now joined CNN in the bad editorial decision making category.
Posted by: newsdad | February 18, 2011 at 11:41 AM
lwps asked why media outlets protect the id of the perpetrators but not the victim.
Wellll not always!! look at the Richmond gang rape story. We never ever saw the victim, nor did we hear her name mentioned, ever.
BUT we saw plenty of shots of the suspects. Also, when the trial began, the suspects were all attached TOGETHER with a ball and chain and paraded across the street to the courthouse. It was a media spectacle. Seems the judge ended that practice after a few days.
In this case, everyone knows who Lara is anyway. And, they were reporting facts so it's not like she can sue. The rapists, however, COULD sue.
Posted by: Johnny | February 18, 2011 at 03:05 PM
If something like this would have taken place at a Tea party rally they would have certainly posted as many in the crowd as they could have.
Posted by: Bob | February 20, 2011 at 08:37 AM
@mimi...."CBS and other news organizations consistently report the gory details of such assaults against women. So, they control how much news on this story we get? Hmmm." I am surprised at you..Why do you think it is 'news' for anyone to know what exactly happened to Ms Logan that night as far as to the sexual assault? If you are a woman (which I am assuming you are by your moniker) would you want the world to know the horrible details to a sexual assault perpetrated on you? I know I wouldn't. There are many perverts out there that get off on the lurid details of sexual assaults that occur to the women, children and men out there. These details should be kept private,not bantered about like some kind of gossip that people throw around during coffee breaks. She should only share those terrifying moments with those she feels safe with: her husband, a sexual assault counselor, her personal physician and if she wishes to go after these people in their country then she has to divulge information to the police. But you and I and the 7 billion other people in the world DO NOT NEED TO KNOW. Shame on you if you are one of those people who desire to know and get off on knowing something as private, degrading, and in time to come, depressing to the victim of such a crime.
Posted by: confused | February 20, 2011 at 09:09 AM
I am mightily confused. Was it an "alleged" assault? Was she groped on the buttocks (read this today) or raped? She spent a great deal of time in the hospital and had "internal damage." Story was very confused from the beginning. Perhaps we are not supposed to know...
Posted by: naoma | February 20, 2011 at 09:23 AM
CNN wants to protect the identity of the rapists.
Posted by: phoenixandrew | February 28, 2011 at 02:29 AM