International News And Other Busyness

Jets, Lies And Video Scrape

Squall 16, Summer 1998, pg. 39.

American broadcasting giant CBS was caught pants-down in a live on-air fiasco which should have left producers as red-faced as their make-up clad news anchor men.

The on-screen cock-up occurred when a presenter was practising an interview with a war reporter. In February this year, when military strikes by the US-lead armed forces looked certain to take place, the reporter was pretending to be live in the Iraqi 'war zone'.

For 20 minutes the God-fearing American public saw a 'news' team acting as if they were in the middle of a bombing run with Walter pretending to be genuinely fearing for his life with his eager camera henchman incorporated into the act. Meanwhile Brown offered his 'surprise' volleying questions to the 'brave' death-defying journalist.

With a cynical disregard for the reality of the situation taking place, but without any knowledge that their acting skills were being watched by millions, the pair discussed casualty figures with Walter making them up as he went along.

Later on the TV tricksters were talking nonchalantly deciding where the best camera angles were before Walter presumably sauntered off to the hotel bar and recommenced his true vocation.

Freedom of the press? 'News' will never be the same again!