Media blooper of the year: Bolivian channel uses images from TV drama "Lost" in coverage of Air France crash

A mighty blow for Bolivian television network PAT. Last Thursday, they aired "exclusive" photos supposedly taken by a passenger of Air France flight 447 at the moment the plane crashed. In fact, the mid-air plane dismemberment photos were taken from the television series "Lost."

The Bolivian news presenter even specified that the images were found in a Casio Z750 digital camera, retrieved after the disaster.

As with many other media outlets we received these images via email last week. One can see a passenger spiralling off into the atmosphere in the second shot; in the first shot, the face is obviously that of actress Evangeline Lilly, who plays the character Kate on “Lost.” She is seen seated with an oxygen mask on her face. Another embarrassing tipoff: on the photos, it is clearly daytime, whereas the Airbus A330 crash occurred in the middle of the night.

The Bolivian network was not the only one duped. A Dutch radio station and a Polish television network also fell for it.

Comments

This report although

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Sat, 27/06/2009 - 19:36.

This report although obiously fake and lacking of any professionalism has no relation to the AF447 accident, the tv presenter does not mention any reference to it at any time. I would say the pictures and the whole story are intended to be in relation to the GOL 737 mid-air collision occured on 29th september 2006.
So France 24 did not contrast its sources when stating that this bolivian channel used the images when talking about AF 447 accident either so incurring in lack of professionalism too.

A fail for both of them, PAT and France 24!

Unregistered user

Shouldn't have happened!

Submitted by AlunHill on Sat, 27/06/2009 - 18:52.

I'm guessing that this was an error, possibly late at night, when someone late at night received the video - and thought they'd got a scoop.

Most embarrassing, though!

Alun

Unregistered user

Serra do Cachimbo

Submitted by Marcelo (not verified) on Thu, 25/06/2009 - 10:26.

In the Bolivian TV video they have mentioned that the camera was found in "Serra do Cachimbo".
"Serra do Cachimbo" is inland and located between the border of brazilian states Mato Grosso and Pará - it was also the site of another plane crash, the flight GLO 1907 operated by GOL airlines, going from Manaus to Rio, that collided with another aircraft.
She also said that the camera belonged to a passenger name Paulo Muller from Porto Alegre (a brazilian city in the south) - a quick search to the flight's passenger list did not show any person named like that or even similar.
It is clearly a fake but maybe wasn't showed now since there is no reference at all to flight AF447 - most likely was shown when the accident with flight GLO 1907 happened in September, 29th 2006.

Unregistered user

Cant they even makout from the sunlight !!!!!..Braindead Media..

Submitted by Felix Gomez (not verified) on Wed, 24/06/2009 - 15:38.

Such brain dead people works for media??? cant they see the daylight and blue sky from that image???..AF447 crashed at night.. .think of that you retards. I like the title.. Last fotos.......lolz

Unregistered user

That'd be "Las fotos"

Submitted by Unregistered user (not verified) on Wed, 24/06/2009 - 17:28.

That'd be "Las fotos" meaning "The photos" in spanish. Not "last fotos" as you indicated. Seems you might be just as brain dead as the media ... "lolz"

Unregistered user

What is or isnt real

Submitted by Russell Brammer on Wed, 24/06/2009 - 13:53.

Like 90% of what is feed to us over the media it further reduces our confidence in what is and what isnt real? Goodness knows what else has been served up to the viewers.

Russell Brammer

United Kingdom
Director

tv coverage bolivian

Submitted by Unregistered userjoseph walker (not verified) on Wed, 24/06/2009 - 12:49.

Well anything is possible with idiots in broadcasting and media.just lack 0f intelligence.pity they hav'nt anything intelligent to do with thier lives.Apart from displaying thier lack of education.

Unregistered user