"Attacks of an Extreme Virulence", aka "Signs of Defiance Against His Profession" as a Photographer

Claire Guillot presents a full-page portrait of a New York Times photographer. Having thus built up the sympathetic side of his character, and the courageous side of his personality, and "the serious Tyler Hicks who has sacrificed a lot … for his calling" (while making the most out of the alleged crimes that occurred in Afghanistan and Iraq during the American interventions), it is not until then that we learn that his photographs have not always been without controversy.

Just like with the Al-Dura affair's Charles Enderlin, however, a French media outlet does nothing about the scandal but present the reporter as nothing more than a poor innocent martyred victim and his critics as nothing less than shameless, treacherous, envious (!), and "extremely virulent". (In fact, here, too, Le Monde builds up readers' emotions, starting with a non-committal "envied job", going on to a more judgmental "not always kind criticism", and ending with a frankly castigating "attacks of an extreme virulence" as well as, later, "these signs of defiance against his profession" (italics mine!).)

Ce poste envié a aussi exposé son travail à une critique nourrie et pas toujours bienveillante. En 2006, pendant l'offensive israélienne au Liban sud, une série de photos prises à Tyr a fait l'objet d'attaques d'une virulence extrême. Pendant des mois, les blogueurs l'ont accusé de manipulations et de mises en scène visant à diaboliser l'armée israélienne. "Il y avait eu une erreur de légende, qui n'était pas de mon fait. Elle a été très vite corrigée, mais le mal était fait. Tout s'est emballé."