(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) July 29, 2011 — A TV station faked coverage of a local amateur golf champion closing out her statewide match-play win — except they staged it on the wrong hole.
WPRI-TV, the Fox affiliate for southern Rhode Island, faked the finale of the championship match of the Ocean State Golf Association by having the two finalists reenact their final-hole action — but on they staged it on the 18th hole, not the 16th, where the actual match had been closed out 3-and-2, according to the Southern New England Newspapers.
The winner and her opponent thought the reenactment request was weird but complied.
“We tried to make it like the real thing, but I think we did a good job with our acting,” she told the newspaper. “I think we deserve some credit for it; that was really realistic.”
Although reenactments are ethical in TV news, if clearly labeled as such, the station presented the footage as it was actually taking place. WPRI-TV’s news director defended the video, saying it was a promotion for the reporter’s impending piece on the players involved.
— Dan Vukelich