The Press: Exclusive Picture

When Princess Margaret made headlines last week by smoking in public, the New York Post Home News (circ. 366,286) was the only paper in Manhattan—and probably in the U.S.—to run a picture of the historic event the same day. The Post photograph showed a cigarette drooping gun-moll style from the left side of Princess Margaret’s mouth. There was only one thing wrong with this exclusive shot: it was a fake. The Post had reached into its files, pulled out a three-year-old picture, doctored it to fit the news, and run it without caption or explanation. Said Executive Editor Paul Sann, who thought up the idea: “We haven’t had any kicks—not even from the princess.”