Cable news networks find another opportunity to air racy photos

Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC used a press conference in which Carrie Prejean addressed the controversy over recently released photos of her as an opportunity to air photos showing a scantily clad Prejean, which she says were Photoshopped.

In their coverage of the May 12 press conference addressing the controversy surrounding whether photos of Miss California Carrie Prejean violated her contract with the Miss USA organization, the cable news networks used the opportunity to air purported photos of a scantily clad Prejean. (Prejean has said some of the images circulating are Photoshopped.)

During the press conference, Prejean stated, “In every photo shoot there is usually more than one photo taken, especially when you first begin modeling. You're asked to take a variety of shots, all of which help you launch your modeling career. The second and third photo were Photoshopped, meant to further harm me and my reputation and discredit me for my beliefs. While I don't know who released the photos from this morning, I do know who released the photos that were actually just released as of a few hours ago. And I find it appalling that a professional photographer would violate my trust by releasing an unauthorized and inappropriate image taken in between posed shots on a windy day which I was unaware of.”

During the press conference, the networks aired the following images:

From the May 12 edition of Fox News' Happening Now:

PREJEAN: First, my faith commands us to forgive one another. This means anyone who has made malicious, slanderous, or untrue allegations about me, and I willingly forgive them before all of you today. But I believe no one should be silenced if they are speaking from their heart. I am a model; I am Christian. Many of you are aware of an Internet photo that was posted last week of me when I was 17 years old and first entered into the modeling industry. A girlfriend took some shots of me at home and to include them in my portfolio, which were submitted to several different agents, as the photo was intended for application rather than publication. And I did not anticipate anyone was in a position to release such an image.

I answered truthfully on my pageant application, and I had not been photographed in semi-nude or nude publications. I subsequently told pageant officials that there was only one photo session. In every photo shoot there is usually more than one photo taken, especially when you first begin modeling. You're asked to take a variety of shots, all of which help you launch your modeling career. The second and third photo were Photoshopped, meant to further harm me and my reputation and discredit me for my beliefs. While I don't know who released the photos from this morning, I do know who released the photos that were actually just released as of a few hours ago. And I find it appalling that a professional photographer would violate my trust by releasing an unauthorized and inappropriate image taken in between posed shots on a windy day which I was unaware of.

From the May 12 edition of MSNBC Live:

PREJEAN: I am a model; I am Christian. Many of you are aware of an Internet photo that was posted last week of me when I was 17 years old and first entered into the modeling industry. A girlfriend took some shots of me at home and to include them in my portfolio, which were submitted to several different agents, as the photo was intended for application rather than publication. And I did not anticipate anyone was in a position to release such an image.

I answered truthfully on my pageant application, and I had not been photographed in semi-nude or nude publications. I subsequently told pageant officials that there was only one photo session. In every photo shoot there is usually more than one photo taken, especially when you first begin modeling. You're asked to take a variety of shots, all of which help you launch your modeling career. The second and third photo were Photoshopped, meant to further harm me and my reputation and discredit me for my beliefs. While I don't know who released the photos from this morning, I do know who released the photos that were actually just released as of a few hours ago. And I find it appalling that a professional photographer would violate my trust by releasing an unauthorized and inappropriate image taken in between posed shots on a windy day which I was unaware of.

From the May 12 edition of CNN Newsroom:

DONALD TRUMP (Miss USA pageant owner): There's no dishonesty there. I think it's a very unfair question. There's no dishonesty there. And these pictures -- I mean, I looked at the pictures, and you all looked at the pictures, and these were not pictures like you're talking about. You know, we had to terminate somebody a year ago, and if you want to see pictures, I'd show you pictures. So, you know, you can't talk about the dishonesty. OK, go ahead.

PREJEAN: Thank you. Any other questions?

TRUMP: Question?