Report: Fox News altered photos

NEW YORK, July 2 (UPI) -- A New York Times editor Wednesday said a Fox News Channel graphic in which images of two Times reporters were altered was "beneath comment."

Fox aired photographs of Times reporter Jacques Steinberg and television editor Steven Reddicliffe on its morning show, "Fox & Friends," in a segment firing back at a June 28 Times report that referred to "ominous trends" for Fox News's ratings.

The liberal Web site Media Matters posted the photos of Steinberg and Reddicliffe, which appeared to have been manipulated to yellow their teeth, add dark bags under their eyes and distort other facial features.

The photos appeared to have been altered using graphics tools, Editor & Publisher magazine said Wednesday.

As the photos aired, "Fox & Friends" personalities Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade chatted about the Times article and called it a "hit piece" on Fox News. They also derided Reddicliffe's tenure as editor of TV Guide -- owned by Fox News's parent company, News Corp.

Neither Steinberg nor Reddicliffe was available for comment Wednesday, E&P said. Times Culture Editor Sam Sifton called the Fox graphic "disgusting."

"This was a hit piece by Fox News," he said. "It is beneath comment."

Neither Fox News nor News Corp. had commented by Wednesday afternoon, E&P said.