Really? The Economist is Now Altering Images?

Damon Kiesow pointed out

a New York Times article about The Economist altering a Reuters image for their cover. I mean, really? After everything else that’s happened over the last few years, deleting people from an image is the way to put together a cover on a purported news magazine?

Since I don’t subscribe, and the Times article doesn’t say, did they at least label it as a photo illustration?