Hat Tip: Duck Duck Goose: WBAL-TV fires blue scrotum reporter over prank 02/26/2009 Wonkette’s version is better than the Sun’s.
And Stan Moore posted it on Inside Charm City on February 24, 2009:
“DCRTV John Sanders, a correspondent for Channel 11/WBAL, disappeared from the Baltimore NBC affiliate’s website on Monday after, over the weekend, he’d been IDed as the prankster who edited the words “bright blue scrotum” into Fox Newser John Gibson’s verbal stream, in a Fox News video segment in which Gibson was commenting last week about the new attorney general. TVNewser has more about the original incident. No confirmation from WBAL as to Sanders’ fate at the Hearst station”
However, David Zurawik, with the Baltimore Sun, wrote some great commentary that has been lost in the whole kerfuffle…
[www.baltimoresun.com: “WBAL-TV fires reporter over prank - John Sanders inserted a graphic phrase in a faked video that ended up on YouTube,” by David Zurawik david.zurawik@baltsun.com February 24, 2009]
He introduced the background of the matter first…
WBAL-TV fired a producer-reporter today for altering a video in such a way as to put false and potentially inflammatory words into the mouth of Fox News anchor John Gibson.
The video that was doctored by John Sanders, who covered technology issues and produced promotional videos for Baltimore's NBC affiliate, became a viral sensation last week after the Huffington Post presented it as authentic.
However, what really resonated with me was:
“Beyond the end of Sander's career at WBAL, the video highlights the lack of verification at popular news Web sites such as the Huffington Post. Like many news aggregate sites, the Post does not employ traditional news reporters but relies mainly on contributions from readers, celebrities and columnists. Sanders' dismissal could also be seen as a cautionary tale for those who think that they can post something on the Internet as a prank for the enjoyment of their friends and that it will go no further.”
Want an example? Click here.
Read Mr. Zurawik’s entire piece here: WBAL-TV fires reporter over prank
Related links
Z on TV: WBAL fires reporter after doctored video goes viral
On the Web: Huffington Post reports on doctored John Gibson video
20090224 Sun WBAL TV fires John Sanders over prank
www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/bal-fired-reporter-0224,0,2655073.story
