While a number of big consumer magazines have been criticized for “touching up” the images of women on their covers and in their pages using Photoshop, the trend didn’t extend to
trade publications – at least until now.
This week, Kerry Washington, who won fame playing the role of Olivia Pope in “Scandal,” issued a gentle rebuke to Adweek for
allegedly doctoring her photo on the cover of the ad industry pub’s April 4 issue.
Washington confirmed what many fans had already noted online, namely, that Adweek apparently
lightened her skin and photoshopped her nose to be smaller for the cover photo, which delves into Washington’s role forging partnerships with brands for her shows.
It’s not clear
exactly how much photo editing actually took place. In a response to Washington’s post, Adweek editorial director James Cooper stated that the only change made to the photo was to
increase the volume of her hair. And it’s worth noting that some of the same effects can be achieved with a range of photo-editing software, as simple filters can lighten skin tone, and
overexposing photos can also contribute to apparent lightening.
Still, Washington seemed fairly confident that her image had been altered, as conveyed in her dignified Instagram post on the
subject, which read in part:
“I love Adweek. It's a publication I appreciate. And learn from. I've long followed them on Twitter. And when they invited me to do a cover, I was
excited and thrilled. And the truth is, I'm still excited. I'm proud of the article. And I like some of the inside images a great deal.
"But, I have to be honest...I was taken aback by the
cover. Look, I’m no stranger to Photoshopping. It happens a lot… Yesterday, however, I just felt weary. It felt strange to look at a picture of myself that is so different from what I
look like when I look in the mirror. It’s an unfortunate feeling.”
Cooper’s equally gracious response reads: “Kerry Washington is a class act. We are honored to have
her grace our pages. To clarify, we made minimal adjustments, solely for the cover’s design needs. We meant no disrespect, quite the opposite. We are glad she is enthusiastic about the piece and
appreciate her honest comments.”
Last year, Washington claimed that InStyle magazine also lightened her skin in its cover photo. InStyle attributed the difference in
her appearance to photo lighting.