CNN International (DStv 401) has quietly removed the video of a story in which the TV news channel "exclusively" spotted and reported on a "ISIS flag" on Saturday in a gay pride parade in London which was actually a flag filled with sex toys.
The incident is already called "CNN’s most
embarrassing flub ever".
The video of the news report remains available on YouTube where it's racked up close to 4 million views since Saturday.
It started when CNN went into breathless
reporting about how the black and white "ISIS flag" showed up at the Pride Parade
in London, "exclusively" spotted by CNN International assignment editor Lucy
Pawle.
Lucy Pawle said she seemed "to be the only
person who had spotted this, and nobody seems to be raising any questions or
pointing it out".
Lucy Pawle then confirmed that a gay event
organiser also knew nothing about the flag. "I also spoke to the police nearby,
who weren't aware either," said Lucy Pawle of the terrible terrorism flag.
CNN then went on to cover the "terrorism" story for six and a half minutes, with CNN anchor Suzanne Malveaux shocked that
London authorities are not tracking and arresting the flag waver.
CNN even
quickly got in the terrorism expert Peter Bergen to comment and give
perspective on what it all means.
The black and white flag was actually covered
in images of various, dildos, plugs and sex toys to somewhat mimic the letters
on the ISIS flag but wasn't Arabic at all.
Nobody at CNN noticed as the channel zoomed
in on the flag, as well as the man waving it, and kept discussing the terrorism
implications at length in its "exclusive" scoop.
