In a memo to the Washingtonian staff, publisher Catherine Merrill Williams defended the doctoring of a cover photo showing President Obama in a swimsuit. Saying she was pleased by all the attention, her memo, as reported on Fishbowl DC, added:

"The only change we made was switching Barack Obama's bathing suit from navy blue to red. We did it solely for graphic design reasons and to ensure good contrast on the black background of the cover. Our change was nothing more than what nearly every magazine in the country does to cover photos on a regular basis to ensure it conveys the concept clearly. We did not alter President Obama's skin tone in any way. We did not airbrush him, remove or add anything to the picture. ...

"As for the accusations that changing the image in this way was unethical, I fundamentally disagree. The ethical line for me is drawn at news photojournalism, where an image captures a specific moment in time -- which means the photo is conveying a date and a location. I hope we would all agree images of this nature must adhere to the strictest of standards and where any photoshopping or altering would be inappropriate. Magazines, especially on covers, use creative freedom to convey a visual concept and an idea. I strongly believe that people, and especially our readers, are able to distinguish the difference."