I know you’re a photographer, Wolf, but there’s nothing holy or sacrosanct about a photograph that it can’t be altered.
In normal circumstances, that’s true. I edit my photos all the time. However, it is most certainly NOT true in a journalistic setting. In journalism, altering a photo is a cardinal sin.
Unless the paper is something akin to The Onion, they should not be altering photos. At the very least, they should indicate that the photo has been altered.
The Wolf