In 2013, well-kempt Californian KTVU news anchor Tori Campbell revealed details of Asiana flight 214 which tragically crashed in San Francisco, killing three Chinese students. Ms Campbell, expertly reading the autocue, announced the names of the Asiana pilots and crew on board.
Without skipping a beat (while skipping any semblance of critical thought), Ms Campbell went on to announce that these names had been confirmed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Campbell was not the only one asleep at the wheel. That this ridiculous and very obvious prank was not picked up by anyone at KTVU was mildly surprising, considering the station had proudly issued a press release just days earlier, stating the infallible accuracy of their coverage.
“Being first on air and on every platform in all aspects of our coverage was a great accomplishment, but being 100% accurate, effectively using our great sources and social media without putting a single piece of erroneous information on our air, is what we are most proud of as a newsroom,” said Lee Rosenthal, KTVU News Director.
And this, from Tom Raponi, KTVU/KICU Vice President & General Manager.
“In breaking news situations like this it’s not only our job to give information but to make sure it’s accurate information. Viewers came to us all day on-air, on-line and on their mobile devices as the most trusted source of information for this tragic event. It’s a responsibility we take very seriously.”
Nice work guys.
