Australian MP Accuses Media Outlet of Photoshopping Image to Enlarge Breasts

An Australian MP has accused Nine News Melbourne, a media outlet, of doctoring an image to enlarge her breasts and expose her midriff. Georgie Purcell, the youngest woman in the Victorian Legislative Council, was featured in a news bulletin after criticising the Victorian government’s decision to allow duck hunting in the state. She later shared the original photo on social media, revealing the edited version to be ‘more revealing’.

Nine News issued an apology, attributing the incident to ‘automation by Photoshop’ and claiming it was a graphic error. In her statement, Purcell emphasized the mistreatment of women in Australian politics and described the incident as one of the worst she had experienced during her time in office.

The outcry against Nine News was swift, with Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan among those condemning the outlet’s actions. Allan, who herself had faced a controversial depiction in a newspaper cartoon last year, expressed her disappointment at the ill representation of a woman in public office.

Georgie Purcell’s outspoken nature and advocacy for women’s rights have frequently drawn attention. Prior to this incident, she made headlines for wearing an outfit adorned with sexist abuse messages that she received online during parliamentary sessions. Her post about the photoshopping incident has ignited a backlash against Nine News.

The director of Nine News Melbourne, Hugh Nailon, issued a sincere and unreserved apology to Purcell for the ‘graphic error.’ He explained that the image had been resized to fit specifications but ended up inconsistent with the original due to automation by Photoshop.

Purcell maintained that such incidents do not happen to her male colleagues and criticized the message they send to young women and girls. She emphasized that even in positions of power, women’s bodies are not off-limits and highlighted how the edited image has already been used to spread hate and violence by opponents.

Politicians and activists, including Victorian Greens party leader Samantha Ratnam, expressed shock at the editing incident, labeling it as yet another example of the sexism prevalent in politics. They called for media outlets to do better and recognize the role they play in minimizing and trivializing women.

This incident is another reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by women in Australian politics, as highlighted by a landmark report in 2021 that revealed a significant prevalence of sexual harassment within federal parliament.