National Nine News in Australia was caught faking a “helicopter report”. Story here.

The News on the TV said they were doing a live cross to journalists flying in a helicopter when the helicopter was actually still on the helipad and had it’s rotors going.

Channel 9 sacks three, news director resigns over ‘Choppergate’ scandal

THE director of news at Channel 9 in Brisbane has resigned and two journalists and a producer have been sacked in the wake of the Choppergate scandal.

I didn’t know if I should put this in “News” or “Hoaxes”. It’s a news story but it’s about a hoax.

I don’t get it.  They lied about being airborne near the scene, but why bother?  It was night and they could hardly have been expected to see anything at the site anyway, so why not just stand next to the helicopter instead?  Also, while they did lie about it, who really cares?  It hardly seems like the kind of thing four people need to lose their jobs over.  It seems more like a bit of hysteria than a real scandal.

Charybdis - 25 August 2011 11:04 AM

I don’t get it.  They lied about being airborne near the scene, but why bother?  It was night and they could hardly have been expected to see anything at the site anyway, so why not just stand next to the helicopter instead?

To appear more “on the scene” and reportery, I’d imagine.

Also, while they did lie about it, who really cares?  It hardly seems like the kind of thing four people need to lose their jobs over.  It seems more like a bit of hysteria than a real scandal.

Well, they did violate journalistic ethical standards.  Sort of like saying that they interviewed somebody when instead they just wrote up some rumours they heard.  I can see why they would lose their jobs, or at least not be allowed to be reporters for a good long while.  I’m not so sure why the director guy resigned, though, unless he actually knew what was going on and let them do it.

I suppose it does show the issue of news being entertainment and all about ratings as opposed to news being purely a public service. I admit I prefer to watch the news on the non-commerical station here, i.e. the ABC (in Melbourne Australia) and sometimes the SBS when I have my TV going.