After the Channel 14 blunder: A case of mistaken identity on Channel 12 News
Just after they celebrated the blunder of Channel 14, comes an embarrassment with a particularly karmic scent. A photo of a fallen YASAM fighter was mistakenly inserted into a report on political appointments in the KKL.
The recent media storm surrounding Channel 14, which caused many reactions—especially from Channel 12 News staff—regarding a particularly embarrassing human error that occurred on Channel 14, has not yet subsided, and we are already witnessing a new blunder, this time from the other side.
As recalled, Channel 14 broadcast a video in which the former Chief Military Prosecutor, Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, was supposedly seen dodging questions on the street. However, it quickly became clear that in reality, the woman filmed was not Tomer-Yerushalmi at all, but an innocent passerby who was simply walking down the street with her dog.
The footage on Channel 14 sparked fierce criticism, especially in light of the way it was carried out. During the video, the channel's reporter, Meir Shamtzov, is seen following the woman and hurling questions at her such as "Are you on your way to a plea deal?" and "Do you want to apologize to the soldiers of Force 100?". In the background, presenter Megi Tabib accompanied the footage with dramatic narration, wondering on air "Why isn't she apologizing?" and "Who is trying to cover up the affair?".
Although many viewers and surfers were quick to point out the serious identification error to the channel in real-time, the content was not removed immediately. The misleading tweet was deleted only after several hours, while on the Channel 14 website, the report and story presenting the aforementioned "exposure" under the home of the "Chief Military Prosecutor" continued to appear.
But now, it turns out that even the biggest critics are not immune to embarrassing mistakes. In the investigative program "Ha-Mevaker" ("The Critic") broadcast on Channel 12 News, a no less jarring and painful human error occurred.
As part of a report dealing with alleged political appointments in the Jewish National Fund (KKL), a photo of YASAM fighter Eli Alikashvili (of blessed memory), who was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident in March 2023, was mistakenly displayed.
The photo of the late fighter was broadcast instead of the photo of the forester Shahar Maimon, who was actually intended in the program. Following the serious identification error, the photo of Alikashvili (of blessed memory) appeared in direct connection to the controversial claims raised in the report regarding those political appointments.
This human error proved once again, in the most painful way, that human errors and editing misses can happen anywhere, even among those who were quick to criticize the competitors—do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor.
