AN AUSTRALIAN TELEVISION network has apologised to a local politician after it showed an image of her that had been digitally altered to make the outfit she was wearing look more revealing while also enlarging her breasts.
Georgie Purcell, MP for the Animal Justice Party in the state of Victoria, criticised 9News for broadcasting the image and questioned whether the same thing would happen to a man in her position.
9News has blamed an automated photoshop application for the changes made to the original picture, describing it as a “graphic error”.
In the image, the dress that Purcell is wearing has had a section across the midriff removed to make it look like a crop top. An area of shading has also been added to accentuate her breasts.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Purcell said:
“I endured a lot yesterday. But having my body and outfit photoshopped by a media outlet was not on my bingo card.
“Note the enlarged boobs and outfit to be made more revealing. Can’t imagine this happening to a male MP. What gives?”
I endured a lot yesterday.
— Georgie Purcell (@georgievpurcell) January 29, 2024
But having my body and outfit photoshopped by a media outlet was not on my bingo card.
Note the enlarged boobs and outfit to be made more revealing.
Can’t imagine this happening to a male MP.
What gives? pic.twitter.com/NhnkDRMidc
Responding to the comments, the news network issued an apology, with 9News Melbourne’s director Hugh Nailon saying the show’s graphics team found the image online and it had been resized to fit the programme’s format.
“During that process, “Nailon said, “the automation by Photoshop created an image that was not consistent with the original.
“This did not meet the high editorial standards we have and for that we apologise to Ms Purcell unreservedly.”
Adobe, the company that makes Photoshop, disagreed with the explanation.
“Any changes to this image would have required human intervention and approval,” an Adobe spokesperson said in a statement to Australian media.
Purcell said she did not believe the same mistake would have happened with a photo of Victoria’s state premier, Jacinta Allan.
“I imagine that if AI spat out a picture of Jacinta Allan in a crop top they would have noticed that but they don’t with me,” she told public broadcaster ABC.
The MP said the incident had an impact on her, and “could affect other women even more, and it should never happen again”.
“These are things that would never happen to our male colleagues, ever.”
Victoria’s premier also criticised the incident.
“That’s no way to present any woman let alone a woman who holds a position in public office, represents a community and is in the public discourse every single day,” Allan told reporters.
“Let’s think about the message that sends particularly to young women.”
With reporting from AFP
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