BBC Apologizes For Halo Gaffe

[The Wooster]

BBC Apologizes For Halo Gaffe

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Unfortunately, Master Chief is not being deployed to Syria.

For those of you who missed it: earlier in the week the BBC made a rather chuckle-inducing gaffe. During a report on the ongoing conflict in Syria, the Beeb used an image of what it thought was the United Nations logo. Instead it was actually the logo for Halo's fictitious United Nations Space Command.

The BBC has since apologized for the screw up.

"BBC News makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all images broadcast, however very occasionally mistakes do happen," a BBC spokesman told Eurogamer. "Unfortunately an incorrect logo was used during a segment on last week's News at One bulletin and we apologize to viewers for the mistake.

"The image was not broadcast in our later bulletins."

Which means Master Chief will sadly not be visiting the war-torn nation. Unfortunate, because if anywhere needs to "finish the fight," it's Syria.

A goofy mistake, and possibly a sign that the Beeb's researchers need to work on their Google-fu, but it's nowhere near as mortifying as the time ITV presented clips from Arma II as real-life footage of IRA soldiers shooting down a British Helicopter. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/115416-Arma-2-Video-Blunder-Lands-TV-Station-in-Hot-Water]


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[dyre]

lulz, no harm done, but that's pretty funny

captcha: oh, wait
...no, I really think there was no harm done D:

 

[silver wolf009]

Heh. Funny little slip up. I wish with the entirety of my being that they apologized in appropriate costume. I'd love to see them dressed up as ODST while they say that.

But yeah, no harm no foul.

 

[Formica Archonis]

At least they didn't put the logo up and talk about the bits and pieces of it and BS about their relevance, like that German station did with a Star Trek-based SEAL logo.

 

[Therumancer]

Checking back on the ITV article, we can see that they are owning their mistake given that they are obviously supressing the video/footage for umm... "copyright reasons".

That said I'm wondering if The BBC messed up, or if they got hacked by a Phrankster. That said it would have been much more awesome if we were deploying Spartans and ODST to Syria. Less nonsense, more results... not to mention the deep disappointment that I now feel that all of those awesome ultra-tech weapons are not about to be revealed to exist. I was looking forward to not only military hardware porn on an unprecedented scale, but to seeing the entire world surrender with the realization that the Halo 1 pistol indeed existed... it would end all war as a terrifying weapon of mass destruction where all nukes and other things failed. Nothing stands before that pistol.......

 

[Scrustle]

I really don't get how they could make this mistake. The UN logo isn't hard to recognise, and the UNSC logo clearly isn't similar. Plus it says UNSC, not UN. I think perhaps it was a joke by a bored Halo fan working in the BBC.

 

[wooty]

To be honest they've probably though UNSC stood for United Nations Security Council.

Though I would like to see Master Chief go to Syria and battle Al-Assad. Would make some great dlc, and more sense than Halo 3.

 

[vrbtny]

nah... the BBC totally knew what that insignia was, and used it on purpose... for the lulz 'cos they're awesome like that.

Spoiler

I'm a brit, I love the beeb. Deal with it.

 

[Treblaine]

I didn't think they were putting much effort into reporting this travesty. It seems the UK at least is in no mood to stop ANOTHER murderous dictator, not with the Olympics and Jubilee, then it's Election year in America. And France is just winding down from an election and they are too busy trying to get enough political capital to deal with Greece let alone action on Syria.

Yeah, I wonder how much Gadaffi could have gotten away with if he'd waited 12 months.

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

HAHA silly old BBC, they seem to have no luck with technology. A few years ago they interviewed a man they thought was an IT expert however it turned out it was just an electrician who was in the building to do some repairs.

 

[Robert Ewing]

Haha, that's quite funny :')

 

[Treblaine]

To be honest they've probably though UNSC stood for United Nations Security Council.

Though I would like to see Master Chief go to Syria and battle Al-Assad. Would make some great dlc, and more sense than Halo 3.

Interesting Bungie would chose that title, as in their universe the UN of UNSC stands for "United Nations". The only change was changing "security council" to "space command".

The United Nations Security Council has existed since 1946 and has been very active, notably the Korean War. But notably the UNSC (real one this time) has surprisingly done nothing to prevent the blatantly illegal slaying of civilians in Syria as was prescribed by a resolution made as early as 2006.

There is nothing stopping the UN going in there like in the Korean War. It's just no member states particularly are interested in going in. There is no mandate or punishment for all the states that don't actively prevent mass killings.

 

[Korten12]

To be honest they've probably though UNSC stood for United Nations Security Council.

Though I would like to see Master Chief go to Syria and battle Al-Assad. Would make some great dlc, and more sense than Halo 3.

More sense then Halo 3..? Huh?

 

[Evil Smurf]

I am thinking of a new Halo game. Halo set in real world Syria: After a time machine accident made by a scientist in the future, Master Cheif and his chums are thrust into a war they forgot had even happened.

 

[The Random One]

Has ITV reported on any zombie outbreaks on Eastern Europe?

 

[Steve the Pocket]

I really don't get how they could make this mistake. The UN logo isn't hard to recognise, and the UNSC logo clearly isn't similar. Plus it says UNSC, not UN. I think perhaps it was a joke by a bored Halo fan working in the BBC.

That would be my guess. A news program wouldn't have to Google Image Search for a picture of something as common as the UN logo; they'd have it on file. Heck, I bet even the anchor could have caught the mistake if she'd turned around and seen it. And she's probably not even a journalist, just someone who's paid to be photogenic and read stuff off a teleprompter.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

I'm sorry, guys, everyone someone says "The Beeb," I think "Justin Bieber."

So when the guy above me says "I love the Beeb," I get more than a little confused. BEE. BEE. SEE. BBC. It's not hard to type, exactly.

 

[dthree]

I really don't get how they could make this mistake. The UN logo isn't hard to recognise, and the UNSC logo clearly isn't similar. Plus it says UNSC, not UN. I think perhaps it was a joke by a bored Halo fan working in the BBC.

That would be my guess. A news program wouldn't have to Google Image Search for a picture of something as common as the UN logo; they'd have it on file. Heck, I bet even the anchor could have caught the mistake if she'd turned around and seen it. And she's probably not even a journalist, just someone who's paid to be photogenic and read stuff off a teleprompter.

These things get rushed to air, so somebody probably did google UNSC and grabbed the first thing they saw.

Also, that is a virtual set, there would be nothing but green wall if the news reader looked behind her.