ABC News anchor David Muir got skewered for ‘narcissismwhen he was shown wearing a clothespin to secure his fireproof jacket while covering the Los Angeles wildfires on Wednesday. (Watch the video below.)
However, the reporter’s intentions were not what they seemed, according to a person with details of the remote broadcast.
Several media sockets piled up to the online accusations of vanity against the network reporter. TV host and producer Jack Osbourne shared an
“Nice jacket brother. I’m glad you’re looking nice and slim in those clothesline clips while our city burns to the ground,” Osbourne wrote.
The viral post generated a lot of vitriol. One person called Muir a “tool” and another tried to present a grander view of state journalism.
“I can’t believe the media can continually lower our beliefs and expectations, yet they succeed time and time again,” another wrote.
But someone identified by Mediaite as a “source familiar with Muir’s live hit” the outlet told us:
“This was 30 seconds before the broadcast aired, a producer intervened to try to resolve the issue [his] jacket in the wind. This had nothing to do with David Muir asking for anything.”
The multiple fires, fueled by high winds and tinder-dry conditions, killed at least five people and destroyed nearly 2,000 buildings Thursday morning. This is reported by the Associated Press.
JS has contacted ABC for comment.