Trump campaign uses unauthorized and altered Gazette photo to criticize Biden

A new ad from President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign uses a manipulated version of a news photo taken in Coralville by a Gazette photographer to inaccurately depict presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as hiding in his Delaware basement.

The image, which was used without The Gazette’s permission, was taken by Photo Editor Liz Martin in December 2019 when Biden was visiting the home of Mayor John Lundell.

About three dozen supporters and journalists were at the event, Martin said, and Biden sat on the floor in an attempt to give someone else his seat.

The Gazette’s policy forbids the use of Gazette news photos for any political advertising. Neither Martin nor Diana Pesek, who handles the newspaper’s licensing requests, gave the campaign permission to republish the image.

“It’s vital we maintain our editorial independence, especially as an independently-owned media company covering the first-in-the-nation caucuses,” Martin said in an interview.

The image appears about five seconds into the ad, which was shared Wednesday by the Trump campaign’s Twitter and Facebook accounts. The campaign did not immediately respond Wednesday afternoon to a request for comments.

https://www.thegazette.com/factchecker/donald-trump-2020-joe-biden-alone-gazette-photo-unauthorized-altered-coralville-hawkeye-game-20200805

They made him sit on the floor Kek!!!