Goofy Photo of France’s Hollande Causes Kerfuffle

Image was retracted by news agencies making pic go viral online

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Two news agencies are under fire after pulling an unflattering photo of French President François Hollande.

Reuters and Agence France-Presse are taking flak from internet commenters after removing the photo of Hollande, who was caught wearing a dopey smile while visiting a French school on Tuesday, The Guardian reports. The news agencies published the photograph and then withdrew it, causing the photo to go viral on Facebook and Twitter.

Both news agencies insist that they were not pressured by the French government to remove the photograph, despite accusations of censorship.

The photo kerfuffle comes as the French President is navigating French intervention in the crisis in Syria.

[The Guardian]