The action involved the removal of a video camera seen in a corner of a frame showing a Syrian opposition fighter taking cover during a clash with government forces. The alteration violates AP's News Values & Principles. This code of AP standards says: 「AP pictures must always tell the truth. We do not alter or digitally manipulate the content of a photograph in any way … No element should be digitally added to or subtracted from any photograph.」
「AP's reputation is paramount and we react decisively and vigorously when it is tarnished by actions in violation of our ethics code,」 said Vice President and Director of Photography Santiago Lyon. 「Deliberately removing elements from our photographs is completely unacceptable and we have severed all relations with the freelance photographer in question. He will not work for the AP again in any capacity.」
Contreras was among the five photojournalists whose images of the Syrian civil war in 2012 earned AP the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography in the spring of 2013. The image that he subsequently altered was taken on Sept. 29, 2013.
AP has notified the Pulitzer board that an image taken a year after the prize was awarded was flawed, but that none of the images in AP's prize entry, including six by Contreras, were compromised in any way. After re-examining nearly 500 other photos by Contreras distributed by AP, Lyon said he was satisfied that no other alteration took place. However, consistent with AP's standards and policies, all of Contreras』 photos for AP will no longer be available for commercial licensing.
AP's story about the incident can be read here.
