In its Aug 9, 2007 issue
Paris Match published a photo (top) showing French President Nicolas Sarkozy canoeing with his son on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. The photo was taken by Reuters photographer Neal Hamberg while Sarkozy was vacationing in the U.S. The photo simultaneously appeared in other publications.
Paris Match's rival,
L'Express, subsequently revealed that in the original version of the photo (bottom) Sarkozy had obvious "love handles." But
Paris Match had digitally removed Sarkozy's fat bulge from the version it used. No other publication that ran the image had altered it in this way.
Paris Match claimed it had altered the picture only because Sarkozy's seated position in the boat exaggerated the size of his fat bulge. However, the magazine was criticized for pandering to the President.
Paris Match, it was widely noted, was owned by a friend of Sarkozy's, the businessman Arnaud Lagardère.
Sarkozy's spokesman said the President had not requested the alteration.
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