"It's a major communication failure from their side to distribute such an image, which raises doubts, will only create rumors," says Eric Baradat, director of photography at AFP, as Catherine, Princess of Wales, apologised after a Mother's Day photo of her with her children was published, only to be withdrawn by major news agencies who discovered it had been retouched. ( COMPLETES VIDI34LD6WW_EN)
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:28 We sent this image to clients because it was a long time
00:31 since we didn't see the Princess of Wales.
00:35 It was a question of our public presence.
00:38 And we trust Kensington Palace.
00:41 Usually, they send us pictures of the royal family
00:43 and their various activities, celebrations, and everything.
00:46 And it's a common practice for the London office
00:48 to get those images from Kensington Palace,
00:51 from the press service of the royal family,
00:53 and distribute it to our subscribers
00:55 around the world in confidence.
00:57 When it became obvious that there were alterations,
01:00 obviously, our editors in London talked
01:02 to the other agencies, editors, and writers, and AP, and Getty.
01:07 And everybody had the same conclusion.
01:12 And everybody agreed that we should not
01:15 be distributing that image.
01:17 It's a breach of trust with our subscribers.
01:20 It's a major communication failure from their side
01:24 to distribute such an image, which raises doubts.
01:27 We'll only create rumors and make us doubt
01:32 that she's as well as they want her to look.
01:36 And that's how it was important for us to tell it,
01:41 and to kill the picture, and to communicate to our subscribers.
01:47 We have a duty of transparency.
01:49 We have a duty of trust towards our subscribers,
01:52 towards their viewers.
01:55 And we have to kill the picture.
01:58 It's absolutely a red line that was crossed there
02:02 in terms of journalism.
02:05 [SPEAKING FRENCH]
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02:12 [SPEAKING FRENCH]
02:15 [French]