TYRE, LEBANON. Wednesday, July 26, 2006: After an Israeli airstrike destroyed two buildings in downtown Tyre, Lebanon, one man helped another who had fallen and was hurt. As people searched through the burning remains, aircraft again could be heard overhead, panicking the people that a second strike was coming.
Editor's Note: Tyler Hicks' photograph
We have received e-mails alleging that Tyler Hicks set up his photograph from Tyre, Lebanon, on Wed., July 26, 2006 [above]. One man is seen helping another. In earlier images, Hicks photographed the injured man searching for survivors after a bomb attack. Michelle McNally, photo editor at The New York Times, writes:
"Tyler Hicks is an experienced photojournalist, and none of his work has been digitally altered or staged. But one of the photographs in the [NYT] slide show appeared with an imprecise caption.
"Hicks was nearby when an Israeli air strike destroyed two buildings, and he photographed the scene and rescue efforts. In the slide show, a man trying to help is first seen active among the rescuers and then, near the end, being helped himself after he fell and was injured.
"The caption on that picture included information about the deaths that day, and it was written in a way that could imply that this man was a victim buried in the rubble. The same photograph appeared in The New York Times July 27 with a caption correctly explaining that the man was injured after the attack.
"After receiving the questions from readers on Aug. 9, we corrected the imprecise caption in the slide show to match the one that appeared correctly in the newspaper. Go to http://www.nytimes.com."
Sometimes photographic "evidence" isn't what it seems. While we need to keep our eyes open for manipulation, I think that we also need to look at the images and appreciate the danger photographers choose to brave.
Marianne Fulton
Senior Editor
