A matter of black and white

CNN has been accused of altering a photo of mixed-race Oregon college mass killer Chris Harper-Mercer- whose mother is African-American- to make him look white. This in combination with reportage representing him as a white supremacist!

I hardly know where to begin. The picture on the right is clearly that of a white man; the picture on the left appears black.

I'm inclined to see this as sloppy journalism rather than a deliberate attempt to spin the story, if only because the falsehood is so obvious and would so quickly and inevitably be discovered. But the more cynical among us will still have a tough time avoiding the conclusion that CNN jumped to some conclusions which at least smack of a political agenda.

As I say, I am inclined myself to think otherwise. But still. Wow.

HT: Drudge

ADDENDUM: In fairness to CNN, though, consider another example of the same mistake- not that it excuses reporting that the man was a white racist: