Classy. Very Classy.

Reuters has posted this picture as part of its coverage of George Bush's recent address to the UN Security Council. The attached caption reads:

"U.S. President George W. Bush writes a note to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during a Security Council meeting at the 2005 World Summit and 60th General Assembly of the United Nations in New York September 14, 2005. World leaders are exploring ways to revitalize the United Nations at a summit on Wednesday but their blueprint falls short of Secretary-General Kofi Annan's vision of freedom from want, persecution and war. REUTERS/Rick Wilking"

Can someone explain to me why they thought this photograph would add in any way to the public's understanding of the event? Does it have something to do with the public's "need to know" that the President has a functioning bladder?

Nice, though, that many people still consider the media to be "objective."

UPDATE: It appears that Reuters has responded to the uproar caused by this picture. First, they tell us not to blame the photographer (duh) and that Reuters chose to zoom in on and contrast-enhance the note so that the text would be more visible. Second, they say that it did in fact add relevant context to the UN story:

The photographer and editors on this story were looking for other angles in their coverage of this event, something that went beyond the stock pictures of talking heads that these kind of forums usually offer. This picture certainly does that.

Now, let me ask you all a question: if, next time around, Reuters got hold of a picture of Bush actually visiting the bathroom while, say, the Namibian delegate was speaking, do you think they would hesitate to publish it? It certainly would go "beyond."