An Australian TV channel faces criticism as a photo of a female politician allegedly undergoes editing, enlarging her breasts and altering her appearance.
Georgie Purcell, a Victorian Upper House MP, took to social media, sharing both the original and modified images, pinpointing the apparent edits in a Nine News bulletin. The channel attributed the incident to “automation by Photoshop,” terming it a “graphic error.” Nonetheless, the controversy has ignited a national debate on sexism.
Ms Purcell said she was going through one of the most difficult days since she was first elected, given the government’s decision to reject a ban on duck hunting, and that the incident only made it worse. She wrote on X, formerly known asTwitter: “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?” She later pointed out that she has her “whole stomach tattooed”, which does not appear in the doctored image. The Animal Justice Party MP has frequently called out the “constant sexualisation and objectification” that women in Australian politics face.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan also criticised Nine News, saying: “That’s no way to represent any woman, let alone a woman who holds a position in public office.” The premier herself faced a sexism incident last year after News Corp cartoonist Mark Knight depicted her as a nude catwalk model – using some pixelation – with the caption: “From theCommonwealth Gamescancellation… the premier’s new clothes.”
She said: “It’s 2023 and I think it’s pretty reasonable to expect that the Herald Sun in-house cartoonist should be able to draw women without using sexualised imagery. They’ve done that. It’s a matter for them.” Hugh Nailon, director of Nine News Melbourne, apologised Ms Purcell “unreservedly” and said in a statement: “I would like to sincerely apologise to Georgie Purcell for a graphic error that occurred in last night’s bulletin. Our graphics department sourced an online image of Georgie to use in our story on duck hunting.”
“As is common practice, the image was resized to fit our specs. During that process, 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 apologize to Ms Purcell unreservedly.”
After the MP called out the channel for being sexist, many expressed their fury on social media. A person commented: “I’m so sorry that happened, it is completely unacceptable.” Another added: “Oh god, the media in this country is out of control.” One angered social media user wrote: “Whoever got paid to photoshop this, maybe have a think about what you’re doing with your life?” Adobe also cast doubt on the TV channel’s claim that the error was automatically made by the photo editing software. A spokesperson for the company said the use of its generative AI features would have required “human intervention and approval”.
Amidst one of her toughest days, marked by the government’s rejection of a duck hunting ban, Ms. Purcell expressed her dismay over the incident. She acknowledged Nine’s apology but remains skeptical of their explanation. The MP raised concerns about the potential threat of AI to women in public life, emphasizing that the newsroom failed to notice the alteration.
Having previously revealed her past as a stripper to fund law school, Ms. Purcell has been a target for sexist abuse. Following this incident, she noted an increase in targeted attacks, with individuals criticizing her and making derogatory comments. Sexism in Australian politics has been an enduring issue, highlighted by a 2021 report revealing that a third of federal parliament employees experienced sexual harassment.
