Fox News has removed a digitally altered photo that claimed to be from protests in Seattle when it was actually a combination of pictures from different cities.
On Friday, Fox News posted a photo of a man holding a rifle in front of a store with broken windows. Another picture showed a burning car and store with a person running down the street with the caption “Crazy Town.” It was featured alongside an article about protests in Seattle, but the photo was actually from St. Paul, Minn., taken on May 30, according to The New York Times, CNN and The Seattle Times.
Fox News removed the photos after several inquiries by The Seattle Times, which called the incident “a clear violation of ethical standards for news organizations.”
An editor’s note was added to the articles with the incorrect photos.
“A FoxNews.com home page photo collage which originally accompanied this story included multiple scenes from Seattle’s ‘Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone’ and of wreckage following recent riots. The collage did not clearly delineate between these images, and has since been replaced. In addition, a recent slideshow depicting scenes from Seattle mistakenly included a picture from St. Paul. Fox News regrets these errors,” the note reads.
Protesters against the death of George Floyd have occupied a portion of city blocks in Seattle, calling it the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, and police have allowed them free rein, according to The New York Times. The area has been home to speeches, music and a film screening about the criminal justice system.
They also used a fiery photo from Minnesota as the centerpiece on a package of stories about Seattle. https://t.co/RBF0ttg2ku pic.twitter.com/bElH94RgYW
— Gina Cole (@Gina_Cole_) June 12, 2020
