Newsnight denies photoshopping Jeremy Corbyn's hat to make him look more Russian
A Newsnight boss has dismissed claims the programme photoshopped Jeremy Corbyn's hat to make him look more Russian.
Supporters of the Labour leader, including prominent left-wing writer Owen Jones, attacked the BBC Two programme for using an image they claim had been altered.
Mr Jones appeared on the show to discuss Labour's response to the Salisbury nerve agent attack and claimed Mr Corbyn had been made to look like a "Soviet stooge".
"The media framing has been a disgrace and I have to say that includes your own programme," he told presenter Evan Davis on Friday.
"Yesterday the background of your programme you had Jeremy Corbyn dressed up against the Kremlin skyline, dressed up as a Soviet stooge.
"You even photoshopped his hat to look more Russian.
"People should complain to the BBC about that kind of thing."
Mr Corbyn was pictured wearing a hat against a backdrop of Moscow's Red Square.
Newsnight acting editor Jess Brammar denied the hat had been altered.
"Newsnight didn't photoshop a hat," she tweeted.
"And finally, the Russia background was a rehash of one Newsnight used a few weeks ago, for a story about Gavin Williamson, the Defence Secretary," Ms Brammar concluded.
Mr Jones responded to the tweets saying the programme had picked an image of Mr Corbyn that was as "Leninesque as possible".
Hi Jess, firstly lots of respect for you. The photo of Williamson is in a suit and his photo remains clear. There is no shortage of photos of Corbyn in a suit. A photo was selected which was as Leninesque as possible in combination with a red Kremlin background.
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) March 17, 2018
"The photo of Williamson is in a suit and his photo remains clear," he said.
"There is no shortage of photos of Corbyn in a suit. A photo was selected which was as Leninesque as possible in combination with a red Kremlin background."
