Melbourne, Australia – A leading Australian broadcaster is in the spotlight after broadcasting a manipulated image of a female Member of Parliament Georgie Purcel altered her appearance.
The image appeared in a Nine News segment following Purcell’s criticism of the Victorian government’s stance on duck hunting. The doctored photo exaggerated Purcell’s breast size and revealed her midriff.
Purcell, the youngest woman in Victorian parliament and a member of the Animal Justice Party, highlighted the unedited and edited photographs on her social media platforms, pointing out the changes to her outfit.
Nine News has since issued an apology for the incident, attributing the error to an “automation by Photoshop” process. Hugh Nailon, Nine News Melbourne’s head, extended an “unreserved” apology to Ms. Purcell, calling it a “graphic error” while explaining that the image had been resized to fit television specifications and the alteration was unintentional, resulting from the automated tools within the Photoshop software.
However, Adobe, the company behind Photoshop, countered this claim, telling the BBC that any modifications to the picture would have needed a person’s input and consent.
The incident has not only provoked a personal reaction from Purcell but has also triggered a broader public outcry against the sexualization and objectification of female politicians. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan condemned the misrepresentation, referencing a controversial portrayal of herself in a past newspaper cartoon and emphasizing the inappropriateness of such depictions, especially of public officials.
AZP News is an independent news organisation that is not affiliated with any big business and depends solely on advertising to pay our bills. Therefore, we are asking for the generosity of our readers to help us with small donations of any amount, but we will be happy with US$1, US$5 or US$10. Click Here to Donate
