Photographer Erica Denhoff was stunned and upset by the Today Show’s modification of her photo of Lia Thomas, the transgender athlete who has out-placed female swimmers throughout the season and most notably at the NCAA’s women’s championship last weekend.
She said she was “disappointed” by the show’s editing. “I pride myself on providing authentic images as a photojournalist,” she told the Washington Examiner.
Denhoff noticed the softening of Thomas’s face, which eliminated rougher imperfections that might appear more masculine, and figured that the move was “intentional” on NBC’s part, she told the publication. “It’s really important as photojournalists that we transmit authentic photos that have not been altered,” she said.
“When I first noticed the airbrushing on the segment referenced, I thought something was honestly wrong with the video. But then, I watched it again and thought, ‘Wait a minute, this appears to be intentional. Lia’s features are softened,’” the artist and graduate of the University of Pennsylvania added.
“I then went to my original photo, on the sites that they could access to license the photo, and compared it and immediately saw a difference.”
Denhoff had been recruited to capture the performances of the swimmers, including Thomas and others, at multiple tournaments. She told the Examiner that she happened upon her modified photo online as she was “following the news to see how my images have been used to tell Lia’s story.”
“To me, it definitely seems like something was going on with the airbrushing/noise reduction of all of Lia’s photos in this segment,” she said in reference to a particular Today Show episode from last week which featured a photo of Thomas that seemed to minimize harsh lines.
“My photo that they licensed was an authentic photo,” Denhoff said. “I’m surprised and disappointed that Today altered my image of Lia for this particular news segment.”
Since Thomas dominated the competition last weekend, some female athletes have accused the swimmer of robbing them of their chances of advancing to the finals because of a distinct disparity in biological advantage. While Thomas’s wins have been celebrated by progressive pundits and the mainstream media, such as NBC, they’ve been condemned by many Republicans and conservative circles, who claim that his inclusion has been regressive for women’s rights.
Source: National Review
