Later, probably the same failed BBC navigator.

"The B52s took off from Fairford at 1030 this morning. They will reach Irag in 4 or 5 hours."

Not unless they underwent a mid-air swing wing modification.

BBC Star.

Anchor trying to impress. "And that is an F18 moving on the deck"

Expert. "No, its an F14 actually."

Some 10 seconds later it was possible to discern the tandem cockpit and shortly after the vertical stabilisers.

Total crap isn't it?

Why don't these reporters just stick to the facts and ask the official spokespersons in the field what is the heat of the meat, so much speculation it is unreal.

Earlier this evening on Sky, wobbly picture of Baghdad being pounded, reporter says 'I'm going to have to take cover.' Several minutes worth of thunderous explosions, smoke, flames, crashing glass, you get the picture. Wobbly voice joins the wobbly picture and the same reporter says, 'I'm just going to put my helmet on.' What a muppet.

:eek: :eek: :eek:

Interview on CNN with US trooper about to go and do the biz:

Soldier: " I am just glad to be able to go out and get revenge for what happened on Sep 11 with the hijackings and all that...."

Reporter: "But there is strong proof and opinion that the Iraqi government had nothing to do with that.."


Soldier: "Oh OK...well I am not sure.....that is something you will have to take up with my higher command..."




;)

GMTV THIS MORNING

saying that all next of kin regarding the 8 marines had been informed. Sadly they had not.

I look forward to the apology or the removal of reporting privileges to these joderel bankers.

Personally I find the statements of the blindingly obvious to have greater amusement value than simple mistakes due to ignorance.

I mean, when faced with a reporter wailing on about hearing jet noise <explosion in background>, "those are jets" <more explosions> "they are bombers" <boom boom boom> "dropping bombs"... you've just got to admire that sort of detailed commentary.

On the morning after the first precision strikes went in, a US official was quoted as saying that F117s had delivered Tomahawk cruise missiles....I don't think so!

WW

Fox News " . . . and all these aircraft can provide close support WHEN REQUIRED."

and when not required too?

"All these aircraft can take-off and attack targets in Iraq."

Yeah and Iran too perhaps?

This thread's giving me tears of laughter - just what we need with all this stuff going on...:O

Wee Jock - ace post :D

Not sure if it counts as a gaffe but...

BBC South West were reporting on support from service famillies, and they were reporting from RNAS Yeovilton, and were showing lots of pictures of Sea Harriers on the ground. To the uninformed this might give the idea that they have been deployed. Worse, it might lead to the famillies of the personnel who have been deployed not getting the support they deserve.

TV report from an un embedded reporter doing his own thing and really making a point to the studio anchor of not letting on exactly where he is ".....the actual border is 3 miles over my shoulder....cant say where I am.....a mile to the west is the main Kuwait-Basra MSR"!!

SNP leader on Radio 4 tonight replying to Tony's speach to the nation yesterday".....our scottish forces...." So thats another country for Dubya to add to his list of supporting nations then.

Ex Janes pundit commentating on the departure of the Fairford Buffs"....and of course the crew can eat on these aircraft"

The guy that gets my vote is that muppet on SKY news, more of a speculation expert than anything to do with defence if you ask me....To**er? or something like that.

So many channels, so little time.

WEBF - I take my hat off to you, sir. Getting a reference to the SHAR into this thread has to be a stroke of genius. Or a stroke of something, anyway... ;)

BBC bloke last night.

"The US Marines have launched a major assault on southern Kuwait"

or even the Radio 4 interview with an "expert" who mentioned that use of cluster bombs would result in large numbers of unexploded musicians on the ground.

Yesterday, I sat through (and noted) many of the gaffes mentioned already and groaned or laughed along with most of you. One interview, actually not a gaffe, was by the CNBC reporter with the 7th Cavalry (David Bloom?). I have to say that, to give credit where it’s due, his reports were the best I saw all day…

But the one from him that warmed the cockles of my heart was where he was perched on the back of a tank recovery vehicle giving a quite lucid (and of course loooong) report to the anchor back in the studio of what he’d seen and what was going on.

Throughout the whole report, where he was repeatedly switching from headset to mobile phone with great alacrity, there was a helmeted soldier to his immediate left who was in profile, apparently taking absolutely no notice of either the reporter or his camera. This individual was seen to adjust his headset and have a dig in his ear, remove a glove and put it back on - (I was half expecting him to use his briefly bared finger to go in deep search of a booger or three, but to my disappointment, he didn’t) – and simply sit there apparently totally oblivious to the reporter at his side.

After five or so minutes of conversation with Bloom, the anchor back in the studio asks Bloom who is the soldier beside him. Bloom goes into serious overdrive, saying that this bloke is Sergeant Major *** ****, one of the ‘stars’ of the Army, and goes on to say how this guy was one of the Rangers involved in the Black Hawk down incident in Somalia, as well as being a veteran of every bit of gun play the US Army’s been involved in since GF One. (For those who didn’t see this interview, I’m talking about a serious rap, as only an American can do.)

So after the intro, Bloom asks Sgt Maj **** a series of questions… and gets clipped, ‘f*** you’ monosyllabic replies to just about every one of them. Like: “It’s been so easy up to now, is there any danger your men might get complacent?” Answer: “Nope.” Or “Are you confident your men will be able to handle the Republican Guard?” Answer: “Yep.”

It’s a classic, and I hope it’s repeated, for that one SNCO did more for the credibility of the US Army than any of the slick generals I’ve seen filling the screen all week or that truly dreadful Army recruiting advertisement they showed that is apparently now being played on the US networks.

And since this is a gaffe thread, I’ll get back on the subject. Of course, the silly bloody anchor referred to the Sergeant major as “Sergeant”.

Female 'anchor woman' on BBC News 24 this morning.

"And now we go over to our reporter aboard the USS Mobile - hello, how are the troops with you feeling at the moment?"

"I don't know, I'm with the sailors..."

Caught one last night from a female reporter at Ali al Salem: "....and the Tornado GR4 is equipped with ALARM missile systems which gives a warning when anti radar missiles are around". Nice.

Good to see those in the military can tell it like it is.
A Cpl in RE attached to US Marines was given a newsie a look around his kit before crossing the border (the newsie wouldn't say which border they were going to cross).
When asked by this incisive newsie about his training and whether the engineers were prepared for the coming conflict, the Cpl replied "Of course we're ready. We're British!".
Good call, oh and the newsie was actually speechless!

I'm as vociferous a critic of journos as anyone, but only when they're being unnecessarily sloppy or sensationlist. Let's not forget, journos are jacks of all trades and it is reasonable for them to make mistakes, especially while having to ad lib on live TV, with an editor yakking their ear.

Such gaffes are a nice little in-joke for those of us in the know. Otherwise, they ain't particularly funny. I'm sure the 99.9% of the viewing public who aren't or have never been members of the armed forces are content with the quality of GW2 coverage.

Anyway, keep 'em coming.

Sky news just now

Lovvie" reports from basra that a tank maint vehicle has been hit by a rocket propelled brigade"

Mike Vickery barely stops laughing.

Classic from ignorant bint interviewr in CNN studio asking questions of
 

Danny's suttle grasp of the Arabic, a gaff or racial slur ?