Newsnight denies "Russian" photoshop of Jeremy Corbyn
BBC Newsnight has denied photoshopping an image of Jeremy Corbyn to make him look more Russian.
The Labour party leader made headlines last week when he urged Theresa May to take a less aggressive approach with Putin's government about the poisoning of a suspected Russian spy on British soil.
And, while reporting about the incident on Newsnight on Thursday evening (March 15), the BBC used a picture of Corbyn that some suggested had been altered to "make him look Russian", sparking an immediate backlash on social media.
The BBC actually photoshopped Jeremy Corbyn's hat to make it look more Russian for this smear on Newsnight.
Let that sink in.
The BBC is being used as an anti- #Labour propaganda machine. pic.twitter.com/IFrmhy2wCk- John Clarke (@JohnClarke1960) March 16, 2018
In the image, Mr Corbyn can be seen wearing a hat, which some claim was photoshopped, against a backdrop of Moscow's Red Square.
However, the programme's acting editor Jess Brammar has since tweeted a denial that the hat had been altered, citing "tech details" as the reason for the colour change of the hat, while excusing the Russia background as a "rehash" of a previously covered story.
"Newsnight didn't photoshop a hat," she said.
Ok, it’s Saturday & I’m in the hairdresser but my phone is having a meltdown so I’m going to address this - I’ve been staying out of it because I haven’t been in the office since thurs afternoon, but here we go...Newsnight didn’t photoshop a hat. https://t.co/gypnmFCD6X
- Jess Brammar (@jessbrammar) March 17, 2018
Our (excellent,hardworking) graphics team explained the image has had the contrast increased & been colour treated, usual treatment for screen graphics as they need more contrast to work through the screens. If you look you can see it’s same hat in silhouette
- Jess Brammar (@jessbrammar) March 17, 2018
apparently (forgive me for passing on tech details I don’t understand firsthand) some detail might also have been lost with it going through the screen and then being filmed back through a camera, again the standard effect on images on that big back panel
- Jess Brammar (@jessbrammar) March 17, 2018
And finally, the Russia background was a rehash of one Newsnight used a few weeks ago, for a story about Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary pic.twitter.com/0MaoKiiJrz
- Jess Brammar (@jessbrammar) March 17, 2018
By all means criticise Newsnight. That’s healthy, and we will always welcome people like @OwenJones84 coming on the show to criticise us from our own studio. But no one photoshopped a hat.
- Jess Brammar (@jessbrammar) March 17, 2018
"Our (excellent,hardworking) graphics team explained the image has had the contrast increased & been colour treated, usual treatment for screen graphics as they need more contrast to work through the screens.
"If you look, you can see it's the same hat in silhouette.
"Apparently (forgive me for passing on tech details I don't understand firsthand) some detail might also have been lost with it going through the screen and then being filmed back through a camera, again the standard effect on images on that big back panel.
"And finally, the Russia background was a rehash of one Newsnight used a few weeks ago, for a story about Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary."
Hmmm.
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