sanewsguy 514 Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 Epic KTVU Fail: Anchor Reports Pilot Names Including ‘Sum Ting Wong’ and ‘Wi Tu Lo’ By Chris Ariens on July 12, 2013 5:08 PM On today’s Noon newscast on KTVU, the station claimed it had “just learned the names of the 4 pilots on board” Asiana flight 214 which crashed last Saturday. But the station was given bad information that made it all the way into the newscast. If you read the names it becomes immediately clear this is a joke, which went unnoticed by the newsroom, producers and the anchor. You’ll recall earlier this week, KTVU touted its coverage as being first and “100% accurate.” “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. About 15 minutes later the station corrected its mistake, but claimed an NTSB official had confirmed the names. Earlier in the newscast we gave some names of pilots involved in the Asiana Airlines crash. These names were not accurate despite an NTSB official in Washington confirming them late this morning. We apologize for this error. Includes ! Someone's out of a job. Tasteless. At least that anchor saved herself when she pronounced "Fuk" as fook, and not the f-bomb.
Jterry 43 Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 Apparently later in the broadcast KTVU made a correction indicating an NTSB official in DC "confirmed" these names. Video from Buzzfeed has that correction http://www.buzzfeed.com/mikehayes/local-news-broadcast-airs-truly-unfortunate-report-on-asiana Just a massive, horrible error.
mike91 67 Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 It's obvious that there is sum ting wong in the KTVU newsroom. How do you not realize those are jokes?
skbl17 188 Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 KTVU and most of these names are trending on Twitter. I love how in the video the anchor pronounces "Fuk" as "fook" instead of "f***", then carries on as if nothing happened. So...KTVU says that the names were confirmed, then the NTSB says they didn't give out the names... Accountability, where are you?! Oh yeah, the dumpster.
AaronQ 282 Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 BEST NEWS PRANK EVER!!!!! LMFAO!!!!!!! :rofl!: :rofl!: :rofl!:
Leavellebrett 85 Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 I was just about to post this. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
MidwestTV 1244 Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 What I don't understand is how absolutely NOBODY THERE AT THE STATION saw these names, read them in their head and though "hmmmm...oh wait what?!" Obviously, they took the term "confirmed by the NTSB" far too literally and didn't bother to pay anymore attention.
MorningNews 1498 Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 I'll be honest and admit that I laughed! It's hilarious but so wrong! Serves KTVU right running that dumbass ad over and over again bragging about being the first to report the crash.
Jterry 43 Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 That's part of what makes this so bad. The last week had been filled with them going on about how they were the station of record for coverage of the Asiana crash, and while it was excessive you could argue it was indeed the case. Not anymore. There have been fake name incidents before of course, but this one takes the prize in terms of being dumbfounded how it actually made air. Also, the fact KTVU is trying to pass blame on the NTSB really hurts them despite the apology. There's no way any actual person at NTSB gave that out. Oh - here's the obligatory link to their FB page. Going about as well as expected over there https://www.facebook.com/ktvu
Weeters 1969 Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 The idiotic rush to be "first" strikes again. Scott Pelley's recent speech comes to mind...
skbl17 188 Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 Maybe the "intern" who committed this was "convinced" by bosses at competitors KGO, KNTV and KRON to change the names to make KTVU look bad, simply because they were tired of seeing that ad!!!1!! Funny, but tragic.
Jterry 43 Posted July 12, 2013 Posted July 12, 2013 The idiotic rush to be "first" strikes again. Scott Pelley's recent speech comes to mind... What's worse - the real names had already been out there (though I'm not sure NTSB ever 100% confirmed them). With that report, yes we have KTVU! http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/local/countdown-disaster-final-moments-flight-214/nYkws/
C Block 1566 Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 This doesn't reflect well on KTVU seeing as they are/were, in my opinion, the best quality newscast in the Bay Area and arguably in the country. Though I'm willing to bet that timing was a factor in this— it's Friday afternoon during the sleepy noon newscast. I bet someone would have caught this, say, mid-week during one of the early evening newscasts. Still horrible though...
Jterry 43 Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 Woah now - KTVU catches a bit of a break. NTSB statement just released via @EthanKlapper http://t.co/auFZ9PY1YE Apparently an intern somehow got the phone and "confirmed" the info to KTVU. This backs up their original statement. Obviously the original point stands that they should have caught this, including with their own reporting, but this helps their case a small bit.
bammy9 26 Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 I know one thing, someone's going to be recieving a pink slip sometime soon...
sanewsguy 514 Posted July 13, 2013 Author Posted July 13, 2013 I'm also certain this intern with the NTSB has ruined his future career.
Jterry 43 Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 ...and the blame shifts back to KTVU. In an interview with SFGate, a spokesman for the NTSB made it clear the names "originated" with the station, not them, and the intern was only acting in "good faith" in confirming them (LOL). http://blog.sfgate.com/matierandross/2013/07/12/1937/
mre29 1563 Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 How about if they just share the blame and leave it at that?
Weeters 1969 Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 ...and the blame shifts back to KTVU. In an interview with SFGate, a spokesman for the NTSB made it clear the names "originated" with the station, not them, and the intern was only acting in "good faith" in confirming them (LOL). http://blog.sfgate.com/matierandross/2013/07/12/1937/ The names originated from Reddit. http://www.reddit.com/r/toosoon/comments/1i49q1/asiana_airlines_just_released_the_names_of_the/ That was posted on Thursday.
Jterry 43 Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 I suppose that shouldn't come as a shock. Now the ? is how in the world did KTVU get these names and what process led to the point of putting it on air, and who was approving it along the way. Hopefully somebody there wasn't using Reddit as a "source", especially when the names were already known! This whole situation is just a heap of journalism fail in so many ways. Certainly NTSB gets blame in this situation, but it's very evident if KTVU was even half doing its job, this would not have happened at all.
mike91 67 Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 Just remembered that this isn't the first time KTVU had got punked. Remember Mike Litoris? http://blog.sfgate.com/culture/2006/07/12/did-a-local-newscast-get-punkd/
Leavellebrett 85 Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2013/07/12/bay-area-fox-affiliate-pranked-into-reporting-fake-names-of-sfo-plane-crash-pilots/ KPIX got an interview with an NTSB representative who said they they do not certify or release names.
sanewsguy 514 Posted July 13, 2013 Author Posted July 13, 2013 Frank Sommerville issued an on-air apology during the 6PM news. Apology accepted, I forgive you KTVU. Just fire a couple producers though. I don't forgive them.
Jess 1116 Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 Ballsy for any station to basically straight up admit "We screwed it up" as KTVU did. It's easy to pin blame. It's harder to admit fault and take responsibility. I've known that KTVU was a quality newscast, and this reaffirms it, despite the significance of their error.
detroiter313 181 Posted July 13, 2013 Posted July 13, 2013 If that isn't the biggest news blooper so far this year, then I don't know what is.
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