Press Photographers Ireland (PPI) has issued a statement following the controversy over the release of pool pictures to reputable media outlets by Britain’s royal family. The PPI said that the incident highlighted the critical issue of ethical sourcing of imagery in daily consumption of news. Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, apologised for changing a Mother’s Day family portrait as international news agencies withdrew the photo.
Corrections
PPI imposes strict conditions on entrants to its annual awards that cover aspects of life in Ireland and beyond. Under penalty of expulsion, a press photographer may not utilise even a small amount of generative AI in an image. Digital manipulation techniques such as photoshopping is limited to basic digital corrections such as contrast and selective lightening/darkening provided that original elements of the scene are not eliminated.
Ireland’s mainstream media outlets follow strict ethical codes similar to the news agencies that removed the manipulated royal images. Public trust in verified and established media also requires investment in individuals who recognise the vital role they hold in society. The affair underlines the need for checks on the reliability of their media sources, especially when delivered through social media and micro-targeted advertising, PPI added.
Pictured above is a photo of Olympic boxer Kellie Harrington taken by Inpho’s PPI award-winning photographer James Crombie
