I agree this is a stunt to send a message, and the message is getting heard everywhere. Mission accomplished.

I just don't pity him, or feel he deserved less. The entire industry needs to take a much harder line to protect it's credibility, and believability. Sorry but when it comes to integrity... Cops, Judges, Civic officials, Journalists, priests and Political leaders.... all need to clean up their images and hold themselves to higher standards, than the general public. Sad part is, the photographer was probably lacking in equipment. A longer lens and a few steps backwards, and the shadow issue would've been resolved in camera.... or move to the other side for a different camera angle and dial up some flash to cope with severe backlighting....

We all know that in news and cinema, getting yourself, and your shadow or reflection (many cases the boom mic,
is simply considered an amateur mistake. Compound that mistake by breaking rules to cover it up, compound that cover up by doing it poorly... I think this does not qualify as a single mistake, but more a comedy of errors....
in the editors shoes I'd have more than a couple questions:

"You call yourself a photographer?"
" You call that photoshopping?""
"Why the hell didn't you take a few more shots WITHOUT your shadow?"
"Why should I stake my reputation as an editor, or this News agencies credibility on you?"
"Who ate the last donut and stuck the empty box back in the fridge? Was that another one of your lousy cover ups?"

1

the ferrari of the camera world has arrived for those that can afford it...

truthfully, I wouldn't pay extra for paint.... unless the paint somehow made the images better...

it is like the speed limit... if the posted limit is 100, and the cops say we'll give the driver 10 km grace, everybody starts driving 110, expecting to not get a ticket, but when everybody is doing 110, a few will try 115, and the odd idiot will proclaim "I had no choice but to do 140. How else was I gonna get past the line of drivers doing 115? Everybody else was speeding, I just got singled out!"

I think in this day and era, there really is no choice but zero tolerance on image manipulation. The more you let slide, the harder people will push boundaries... and eventually somebody somewhere will go too far, and get caught... We live in an era where to maintain some level of trust or believability, there has to be a line that you just don't cross, period. No margin for argument. Sad to see someone being made an example out of, but needed.

unemployed:
link
harsh but necessary if you ask me... but I ask you? fair treatment? or overzealous application or arbitrary rules?

if one CANNOT ADD an answer to a poll without CONTRIBUTING to a MISLEADING TOTAL then the SUM of the POLL is WORTHLESS!

That poll is about as useful as going into a gay disco club and polling:
"Have you ever seen flashing lights?"
"Did you ever lose track of time?"
"Ever feel dizzy or disoriented?"
"Ever have something inserted in your rectum?"
Under the heading: "9 out of 10 Human males claim to have been abducted and probed by aliens!"

if the poll is not worded correctly it is useless.
this in no way shape or form is meant to imply aliens are homophobes, or that a gay patron of a gay disco nightclub might or might not have been abducted by aliens... just to show how a poll can be misleading depending on who you ask, where and when you ask, and especially WHAT you ask...

#6 4 me! 7 is ok as well!