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Unvarnished and strategic: Tony Abbott with US President Barack Obama. Photo: Andrew Meares

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has appointed a new personal photographer, part of a growing trend among Australia's politicians to exert greater control over their image.

Mike Baird and his wife Kerryn in the shot arranged by Tony Story. Photo: Twitter

News Corp photographer Brad Hunter will join Mr Abbott's media staff later this month, raising concerns that news photographers will gain less direct access to the prime minister.

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Although it has long been a fixture in US politics, Mr Abbott broke new ground when he employed a former press gallery cameraman to his staff after the election, a move that frustrated television crews who found themselves forced to rely on footage provided by Mr Abbott's press office.

It was not uncommon for the weekend television news to have only Mr Abbott's weekly video message, recorded by his staff and distributed on a Sunday, to use in bulletins.

The videos were also distributed on social media, but it is often still photography that resonates best on the medium.

NSW Premier Mike Baird, mimicking US President Barack Obama, posted abeautiful black-and-white picture of himself with his wife, Kerryn, on social media on the night of his election win last month.

What looked like an impromptu, private moment away from the hubbub of the victory party was actually arranged by his digital media specialist, Tony Story, and came with a carefully crafted message: "Thank you NSW. I love this state. We will work for you, every day, for the next 4 years."

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Picture this: Why image is everything for our politicians

Russian Trolls and State media control
Sophia Kornienko discusses how the russian media is using the western media to open up another front in the new cold war. Also how there is an organised and state sponsored organisation of...

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Russian Trolls and State media control - Video

BEIJING Memo to U.S. media executives: If you do a photo op in the headquarters of Chinas state-run Xinhua news agency, be prepared for some surprises.

Gary Pruitt, CEO and president of the Associated Press, learned that this week following a March 27 meeting with his counterpart, Xinhua President Cai Mingzhao.

During his visit, Pruitt shook hands, posed for photos and toured Xinhuas social media operations center. On Monday, Xinhua published a story saying the worlds two leading news agencies . . . have agreed to strengthen cooperation in social media.

Xinhuas story triggered a buzz in media circles. Some netizens were aghast that AP might use its social media platforms to promote content from a government propaganda organ.

The only problem? The story wasnt true, at least according to AP.

There is no social media sharing arrangement planned between AP and Xinhua, said Paul Colford, the Associated Press media relations director, in a statement late Wednesday.

Colford didnt respond when asked if AP would be seeking a correction from Xinhua. He characterized the Beijing visit as part of a routine exchange between the two news agencies. AP executives, he said, told Xinhua leaders that if they visited our headquarters in New York we would be happy to give a similar tour.

How and why Xinhua announced a deal that wasnt a deal isnt entirely clear. Attempts to interview Xinhuas Cai Mingzhao were unsuccessful Thursday. McClatchy was also unable to interview Pruitt, who previously had served as CEO of McClatchy.

The Associated Press, a not-for-profit news agency owned by U.S. newspapers and broadcasters, has been steadily growing its business in China. In 2012, AP signed its first commercial contract with Xinhua, allowing the Chinese news agency to sell AP photos in China, so it wasnt unfathomable that new deals might be in the works.

Even so, some media observers in Asia were immediately suspicious of Xinhuas report, given the Chinese news agencys record of hyping its global stature and distorting other information.

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AP denies Chinas claims it is partnering on social media

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By Seven former media practitioners in DAP Malaysiakini Mar 31, 2015

We strongly condemn the recent arrests of four senior editors and the CEO of a media group under the draconian and repressive Sedition Act, in what is a clear and blatant attempt to silence and intimidate the media.

At about 6pm yesterday, three editors of online news portal The Malaysian Insider (TMI) managing editor Lionel Morais, Bahasa Malaysia editor Amin Shah Iskandar, and features and analysis editor Zulkifli Sulong were arrested and the TMI office raided under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act and the Section 233 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Act.

This morning, two more senior personnel chief executive Jahabar Sadiq and CEO of The Edge Group (which owns TMI) Ho Kay Tat were arrested when they went to the Dang Wangi police station to give their statements to the police.

They were arrested in relation to an article published on March 25, which said the Conference of Rulers had rejected a proposal to amend a federal law that would pave the way for hudud to be enforced in Kelantan. This was later denied by the Keeper of the Rulers Seal, who lodged a police report against the article.

As former journalists ourselves, we condemn the actions of the police in their heavy-handed and indiscriminate use of this pre-Independence law a sign that the government is desperately clutching at straws to assert its iron grip over an increasingly aware and angered citizenry.

If indeed certain parties had taken issue to the report, which they believe to be erroneous, there is always the option to take civil action and sue the news portal, or to issue a denial to the report. The right of reply is one granted to all; there is no need to arrest and detain the media for performing its duties.

Arresting journalists and editors is sheer intimidation and a form of bullying, and a disgraceful act for a nation that claims to be a democracy.

Perhaps the government needs to be reminded that Malaysia last year dropped to a historic low in the World Press Freedom Index, plunging to a rank of 147th out of 180 countries a dismal ranking that is a result of continued harassment of the media, tight control over printing licences and the muzzling of free speech.

Malaysia was ranked 145 out of 179 countries in 2013, which was a drop of 23 points from 2012, further showing the slippery slide backwards in freedom of the press.

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Comment on Release all media folk, stop the intimidation by undertaker888