Not all war photos are faked

Greg Mitchell at Editor and Publisher cuts to the chase on the bogus "fauxtography" frenzy going on in the right wing screechosphere. The Hot Air crowd is seeing phantoms in every photo but offer no actual proof that their hysterical claims are accurate. Mitchell deflates their gas bag rather adroitly. Here's a choice quote.

This broad condemnation, and the conspiracy theories, lodged against photographers in war zones -- who are risking their lives while bloggers risk nothing but carpal tunnel syndrome -- needs to be refuted.

Indeed, one American photographer in Lebanon, Bryan Denton, often cited by the blogs as backing their claims, has now apologized for his earlier "irresponsible" assertions at the Lightstalkers site, and stated flatly, "Any one out there who is trying to politicize that is just plain sick, and is moving this further away from the real issue at hand. There are hundreds of photographers working here now. Don't let a few bad apples take the attention away from what the REAL story is, because by the looks of the blogs, THAT is exactly what is happening." Don't expect to find those second thoughts on any of the blogs.

Let it be noted that the blogs in question are all from the screechosphere collective. The same people who have no problem with the White House doctoring their photos to make Bush look better.

Meanwhile, judging from the huffing and puffing going on among the Hot Air-heads, Mitchell is hitting a nerve. Can't wait for the part two of the column.