BP Admits Doctoring Gulf Photos

BP has told its staff to stop altering images on its Gulf crisis website after sharp-eyed bloggers spotted some clumsy Photoshopping. One image of a crisis center was altered to make it appear as if all the screens were in use. Another photo, taken from a helicopter on the deck of a vessel, was changed to make it look like the photo was taken while the aircraft was in flight, the Washington Post reports.

BP says the intention was never to mislead, and in the case of the command center photo, the staff member responsible was merely demonstrating Photoshop techniques to colleagues and forgot to change back to the actual image. Media analysts, however, say that the changes, while minor, represent yet another PR blunder by BP, which further undercuts its pledges of transparency in dealing with the Gulf crisis.
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