PBS’ decision to digitally add stock footage of fireworks during their live coverage on the capitol blew up in their face monday night.
Controversy sparked after PBS’ annual broadcast aired clear skies behind fireworks instead of the night’s heavy overcast.
“Perhaps they just didn’t think about that. They should have, frankly,” said Mike Cavender, Execute Director of the Radio TV Digital News Association. “I just think it’s good practice to indicate which was live and which was not.”
People quickly bombarded PBS’ social media outlets, pointing out lapses like the lack of scaffolding currently on the Capitol’s dome as part of an ongoing restoration project.
“The more honest and the more open the media can be in any genre, whether it be in entertainment, certainly in news,” said Cavender, “the better off the media in general will be in terms of being trustworthy.
Copyright 2016 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: “A Capitol Fourth”/PBS via screencap)