Georgie Purcell recently received an apology from Australian news network Nine News. This comes after the channel was criticized for using an edited photo of herself in a newscast on January 29, 2024. The photo used by the channel, which is said to be different from the original photo, revealed her hijab and changed her body.
According to ABC News, Nine News director Hugh Nealon shared a statement, stating that the company's graphics department “obtained an online photo” of Purcell for a story about duck hunting.
“As usual, the image has been resized to fit our specifications. During this process, Photoshop automation created an image that was inconsistent with the original image. This did not meet our high editorial standards and for that we apologize unreservedly,” Ms Purcell said.
Georgie Purcell slammed Nine News after they used the image
Purcell appeared on Nine News on January 29 to share her thoughts on the duck hunting ban. However, the channel reportedly used an edited photo of herself, also featuring politician Jacinta Allan, in its post, which received a lot of backlash. While speaking to Guardian Australia, Purcell highlighted the incident and said:
“Unfortunately, the difference for women is that they also have to deal with the constant objectification of gender and objectification that comes with the leaking, distorting of images and the creation of artificial intelligence.”
Georgie Purcell also shared a photo collage on social media on January 30, comparing the edited image to the original. She began by saying that she “endured a lot” after the incident and wrote:
“Note that larger breasts and larger clothing would be more revealing. I can't imagine this happening to a male MP. What gives?”
While Nine News apologized and said that “Photoshop automation created an image inconsistent with the original image,” Adobe, the company that produces the software, rejected the claim and said editing the image in question would have required “human intervention and approval.” “, according to the BBC.
According to The Guardian, Photoshop teacher David Ewing stated that the program could not edit the image unless a human told it to do so.
Georgie Purcell responded to the apology
Georgie Purcell shared an Instagram post dated January 30, 2024, which included her statements. She stated that it was not easy for her to see her modified image on television, and she said:
“When you've struggled with negative body image your whole life, it's confronting seeing yourself edited out on TV after the worst day of work you've ever had. But this isn't just about me, it's about how we treat women more broadly.”
She continued by saying that she accepted the company's apology, writing:
“Although I am not convinced why, I have accepted Nine’s apology, and will leave comment on artificial intelligence and Photoshop’s failure to the experts.”
She concluded her speech with the hope that individuals will learn from this incident, as she does not want to “deter women and girls from achieving their dreams and contributing to public life” after seeing what she was exposed to.
