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It has been a tough week for purists in China. Last week saw the life suspension of champion male back stroke swimmer, Ouyang Kunpeng, shamed for performance enhancing drug use. Today we see another case where the public's trust has been abused with the revelation that the south China tiger images were faked and the officials and photographer face the docks. Unfortunately it follows three similar cases last year involving the abuse of the public trust and it's setting a precedent that must be addressed. Most recent was the manipulation of digital images concerning a flock of white pigeons. Zhang Liang from the Harbin Daily submitted the picture "Over 800 pigeons at a square take the bird flu vaccine", to the China International Press Photo Contest in 2005 and won a gold award. Sadly he was later exposed in May this year as a phony. This followed another misrepresentation by Liu Weiqing, a 41-year-old Daqing Evening News photographer that "severely breached the ethical codes of journalists" mid February this year. He stuck together two photos into one showing more than 20 Tibetan antelopes frolicking under a bridge. The photo, named "Qinghai-Tibet Railway opening green passageway for wild animals", was ranked among the "10 most impressive news photos of 2006". All of which were preceded by another journalist, Zi Beijia who last July, concocted a story regarding cardboard stuffing that was allegedly being used in dumplings. Not only did he put people off their dinner he later forced us to query the desperate measures writers and photographers may go to satisfy over eager editors' quest for captivating content. | 
