A day after the Weather Channel was praised for its outstanding green screen graphics depicting Hurricane Florence’s 10-foot storm surge, a reporter for the network faced allegations he exaggerated wind speeds out in the field.
In the report shot in South Carolina, a journalist is seen rocking back and forth fighting to stand in the face of 75-mile per hour winds. Twitter users, however, keenly observed the journalist appeared to be exaggerating the intensity of the wind speeds as two men casually strolled into the shot behind him apparently impervious to Florence’s devastating winds.
Does “CNN own the Weather Channel?” asked one user, accusing the network of airing “fake news.”
And the hits kept rolling in:
This dude from @weatherchannel is straight up faking this. He can barely stand up while 2 dudes just walk by in the background. I think that’s why producers panned our ? yes. This storm is bad but literally don’t need #fakewind added to the madness #HurricanFlorence #FakeNews pic.twitter.com/TkNtejCNas
— MSTRDaB8R (@gordo924) September 14, 2018
So dramatic! Dude from the weather channel bracing for his life, as 2 dudes just stroll past. #HurricaneFlorence pic.twitter.com/8FRyM4NLbL
— Tony scar. (@gourdnibler) September 14, 2018
The Weather channel was selling this storm like they were getting a commission. https://t.co/d9ZKa56GcK
— Jonathan Leavitt (@survivorJon) September 14, 2018
The Weather channel was selling this storm like they were getting a commission. https://t.co/d9ZKa56GcK
— Jonathan Leavitt (@survivorJon) September 14, 2018
Lmao the @weatherchannel faking #HurricaneFlorence2018 news ? pic.twitter.com/nuHyfgMuUd
— Jeff Saxton (@JeffSaxtonVlogs) September 14, 2018
Weather Channel dude: *about to be blown off his feet by the wind*
Two locals: *casually walking down the street taking cell phone vids*I love you North Carolina pic.twitter.com/rEQtIupi5m
— Scott Coleman (@scottsalesforce) September 14, 2018
Performance Art at its finest. Watch these dudes casually strolling by about halfway through the video. Meteorologists loveeee drama @weatherchannel pic.twitter.com/o9J6wh3IXf
— Brent Wynne (@BrentWynne) September 14, 2018
Hilarious! @weatherchannel reporter fakes intensity of #HurricaneFlorence wind – gets caught https://t.co/NKgeDQCYuD
— hockey schtick (@hockeyschtick1) September 14, 2018
BUSTED!!! #Weather_Channel reporter goes viral after appearing to fake extreme wind conditions https://t.co/0BShcJbJOv via @twitchyteam pic.twitter.com/UfERQ8AhoT
— Chris ?? (@Chris_1791) September 14, 2018
Reporter struggling in the wind while the other guys just casually stroll past. ? pic.twitter.com/Qb3AxgPXNT
— Only in America (@Crazzyintheusa) September 14, 2018
Weather Channel guy pretends like he’s about to get blown away by #HurricaneFlorence while two dudes casually stroll by in the background. Classic. https://t.co/pDjoGIlTwD
— DC101 (@DC101) September 14, 2018
Others compared it to the time a Today Show reporter used a canoe to illustrate high flood waters, only to have two men stroll into the frame with water up to their ankles.
At least The Weather Channel didn’t go the canoe route. cc: @jamesaydelott pic.twitter.com/x9kV6KDOUz
— Jeff Jamison (@CBS11JeffJam) September 14, 2018
