Reporter breaks cardinal rule of television news and drops live F-bomb

A Detroit reporter broke the No. 1 rule of live television during a Wednesday morning live shot: Always assume every microphone is hot and every camera is live.

General assignment reporter Lauren Podell was covering a fire that damaged multiple buildings in downtown Lapeer, Michigan, when she had difficulty with her interruptible feedback earpiece that allows her to hear directions from producers.

Her station’s anchors introduced the report and then handed it over to Podell, who can be heard expressing concerns that she and her photographer could not hear the broadcast or their producers back at the station.

“I don’t have IFB, I don’t know where we’re going, neither does Jim,” Podell says. “I can’t get this f---ing in there.”

Anchor Evrod Cassimy immediately apologizes to viewers, and the producers cut to a live shot of the fire scene, but without audio.

Watch this video posted online by Jason Heien: