Journalist Ryan Saavedra has publicly criticized an "OSINT" (Open-Source Intelligence) account, labeling it "garbage" for disseminating what he claims is inaccurate information regarding a photograph. Saavedra asserted that the image in question, which he states was taken by the Associated Press on July 3, 2020, had only minor alterations—specifically, "adding some light and increasing the vibrance/color of the sky."
"This 'OSINT' account is garbage, get's a ton of stuff wrong. This photo was taken by the Associated Press on July 3, 2020. All that was altered in the photo was adding some light and increasing the vibrance/color of the sky."
The tweet from Saavedra directly challenged the narrative put forth by the OSINT account, which had claimed the photo was "badly photoshopped" by former President Trump. The original post by "OSINTdefender" stated, "As part of a spree of late night posts Friday on TruthSocial, President Trump posted a badly photoshopped picture of his face next to the four presidents honored on Mount Rushmore." This indicates the photo at the center of the dispute depicts President Trump's face superimposed onto Mount Rushmore.
The Associated Press, a globally recognized news organization, adheres to strict ethical guidelines regarding photo manipulation. Their standards generally permit only minor adjustments such as cropping, color correction, and toning, while prohibiting alterations that change the factual content of an image. The dispute highlights ongoing concerns about the spread of misinformation and the reliability of information shared by unofficial "OSINT" accounts on social media platforms.
