Absolutely true, but this seems like a new level of misleading. For example, the newspaper I worked for did not allow any kind of photoshop alteration to the ph

Absolutely true, but this seems like a new level of misleading. For example, the newspaper I worked for did not allow any kind of photoshop alteration to the photos beyond lighting adjustments. The photo is meant to show reality even if it is not photogenic. This can still be manipulated through framing as you point out, but there are limits which this new technique blows right past.