NHS trust faked MP visit picture

[Dactyl]

An NHS trust has admitted superimposing an image of a government minister into a publicity photograph for a hospital building project.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/m...er/7018729.stm

I couldn't quite decide where to put this as we know it's faked and it's being built up as a huge publicity faux pas, however, the thing that caught my eye was that:

a) it's very obviously faked
b) it made the BBC headline national news yet personally I feel it's a huge "Who gives a NFBSK?". He was late but he did go. Does it really matter if they were all there at the same time?

Feel free to move (and delete this bit).

Well, it isn't something I would start a petition about, no. The photo isn't trying to suggest something dreadful or present a major distortion of the facts. Were he photoshopped into a lapdance club, it would be different. The main casualty from this incident is likely to be the professional reputation of the picture editor or other person responsible for publication of the merged picture.

I agree with James Purnell though that his image has been inappropriately used without his consent and an insert would have been more appropriate. ETA - I don't agree with the Tory view that James Purnell should apologise. This was a misguided cock-up by a comms officer at an NHS trust, not an attempt by the government to mislead the public.

And my final informed comment on this... Ha ha ha ha ha hAAAAAAH! That photoshopped image is complete crap!

[Tarquin Farquart]

If they were going to fake a picture they should have done something more outrageous. Like making him 10 foot tall for example. Or show him helping out with an operation.

[Eddylizard]

Nah, they should have published it as it was taken. and seperate from the image of the others, captioned

"Image left Culture Secretary James Purnell taken later because he couldn't be bothered to turn up on time like the others. Probably busy rogering his secretary or something. Still at least he showed up eventually."

[Tarquin Farquart]

Originally Posted by Eddylizard

Nah, they should have published it as it was taken. and seperate from the image of the others, captioned

"Image left Culture Secretary James Purnell taken later because he couldn't be bothered to turn up on time like the others. Probably busy rogering his secretary or something. Still at least he showed up eventually."

But Mr Purnell, the MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, was late for the photographer because of his "hectic ministerial schedule", the trust said.

Hmm, hectic ministerial schedule is a new euphemism I intend to use...

Originally Posted by Tarquin Farquart

If they were going to fake a picture they should have done something more outrageous. Like making him 10 foot tall for example. Or show him helping out with an operation.

at the thought of him wielding a scalpel whilst smiling into the camera

However, the image is pretty outrageous. Apart from having a very neatly edged hairdo, he appears to be levitating a couple of inches above the tarmac, David-Blaine stylee.