White House posted altered arrest photo of activist, media analysis finds
On Jan 27, outlets reported that a White House version of an arrest photo of activist Nekima Levy Armstrong was digitally altered from an original posted earlier by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, prompting ethics and legal concerns.
- Kristi Noem posted an original arrest photo of Nekima Levy Armstrong after an incident at a St. Paul church and the White House later posted a different, edited version.
- Media outlets including The Guardian and The New York Times documented edits that darkened Armstrong’s skin and changed her facial features to appear distraught.
- The New York Times used Resemble.AI and reproduced similar edits with generative tools Gemini and Grok to show the White House image was manipulated.
- The National Press Photographers Association said altering editorial images that misrepresent subjects undermines public trust and journalistic standards.
- Legal analysts warned the doctored image could prejudice a fair trial and be cited by defense lawyers as evidence of improper extrajudicial statements.
- Civil liberties groups and the reporting outlets argue the government should stop using manipulated images and rely on ethical standards rather than new legislation.