Which one is true?

Posted on May 9, 2025August 29, 2025

by Paul Melcher

Left: Released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office. Right: Distributed by TASS, the Russian state news agency.

One was published globally without question. The other sparked outrage when it won a prize.

Both serve a narrative. Both come from official sources.

But only one is called propaganda.

If we’re serious about image credibility, we must apply the same scrutiny, the same level of criticism, regardless of the origin and what camp we are in. Either we consistently consider the source and question the photojournalistic ethics behind an image, or we accept them at face value. But we can’t turn a blind eye to one and vilify the other.

Paul Melcher

Paul Melcher is a veteran of the visual media world, with over 15 years of experience at the crossroads of journalism, photojournalism, and emerging technology. A longtime advocate for ethical visual storytelling, he has written extensively on the evolution of imagery, authorship, and truth in the digital age. Today, he is an expert in visual authenticity and image integrity, building forward-looking solutions that address the growing challenges of synthetic media. Paul is the founder of MelcherSystem, where he advises companies, institutions, and creatives on trust in visual content.