A German Reporter Was Fired After Smearing Mud On Her Face To Look Like She Helped Clean Up A Flooded Town
Last week Europe was hit with torrential floods which killed at least 196 people in Germany and Belgium. Bad Münstereifel, a small town in Western Germany, was completely devastated, and soon TV presenter Susanna Ohlen showed up to report on the destruction. But before Susanna went live, she did something really dirty; she smeared mud on her face and clothes so it would look like she was in the middle of helping with the clean-up. Unfortunately for Susanna, her trick was caught on film by a curious onlooker who posted it on Twitter. She was suspended and then fired because that shit’s basically the opposite of “journalistic integrity” (or “journalistische integrität”).
Here’s the sneaky civilian’s video:
Artikel: "Aufräumarbeiten nach Flut: RTL-Moderatorin Susanna Ohlen packt in Bad Münstereifel mit an"
Was auch geschah:pic.twitter.com/zp1p3XbAaK
— Argo Nerd (@argonerd) July 22, 2021
And here’s Susanna’s official report:
Hier ist das fleißige Bienchen 🤣🤣🤡🤡mit ihrem Märchen das sie mit angepackt hat 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/brdhofXl5k
— BockwurstMitSauerkraut (@Michael45644934) July 22, 2021
I don’t speak German, but I assume Susanna was saying:
As you can see, I am very dirty and muddy. Look at this shovel. Look at this shit behind me. Look at this shit in front of me. I’ve been helping with all of it. Please note my workman gloves. Shovel! Rubber boots! Unflattering hat! This is all proof that I am a humanitarian and should be nominated for a German Emmy, which I’m pretty sure is called a Gemmy.
I mean, it’s not Brian Williams-levels of deception, but it ain’t a good look for Susanna or her network, RTL. Also, it ain’t even a good look! You can’t see the mud on camera! All for nothing.
RTL took down the news report’s accompanying article, which was titled, “Cleaning up after the flood: RTL presenter lends a hand in Bad Munstereifel”, and suspended her hours later. They said, via The Daily Mail:
‘Our reporter’s approach clearly contradicts journalistic principles and our own standards. We therefore gave her a leave of absence on Monday after we heard about it.’
Since releasing that statement, RTL confirmed they fired her ass. Susanna had worked for RTL since 2008 and presented a bunch of shows on the network. She apologized on Instagram, explaining, via TMZ:
“After I had already privately helped out in the region on previous days, on that morning I was ashamed to appear on camera in front of the other aid workers with a clean upper body.”
She added, “So I unthinkingly smeared mud on my clothing. This should never have happened to me as a journalist. It happened to me as a person whose heart was touched by the suffering of all those affected.”
Welp, Susanna may be out of a job in front of the camera, but has she thought about going behind the scenes and getting into hair and makeup? Start small, girl! Try a local high school’s production of Les Misérables. Rub a little dirt on their cheeks, tear their clothes, and bing, bang, boom, suddenly these pimply 15-year-olds transform into impoverished 18th century French rebels! The magic of theater.
Pic: YouTube