Sunday Times 2
‘Queen Thatcher is dead’
View(s):Taiwan TV bosses mistake monarch for Maggie in broadcast of death andThailand uses Meryl Streep instead
By Harriet Arkell
It was the story of the day yesterday, and television newscasters the world over rushed to broadcast the news that Margaret Thatcher had died in London. So it is, perhaps, no surprise that one or two of them didn’t get it quite right…
Embarrassing blunder: A broadcaster in Thailand used a picture of actress Meryl Streep in a report into the death of Margaret Thatcher
A Taiwanese news station aired footage of Queen Elizabeth II while reporting the death of the former British Prime Minister.
CTi Cable flashed a headline declaring ‘Margaret Thatcher Dies of Stroke’ while running two clips of the Queen shaking hands with members of the public.
The newscaster said: ‘We’ve learned the breaking news that ex Prime Minister, the Iron Lady, Thatcher, died at home in London due to stroke today, the 8th, this morning, at the age of 88. ‘A spokesperson for Thatcher has publicly confirmed this news. What we know is that Thatcher has been suffering ill health in recent years.
‘Since more than 10 years ago, she’s suffered numerous minor strokes. Just last December, she had surgery in London to remove a bladder tumour.’ It is not known why the station gave her age as 88, but it could either be an error or down to the Chinese custom of counting one’s age as starting with one when you are born.
The station apologised last night after viewers criticised the station for failing to distinguish between the two famous British women.
Meanwhile in Thailland, news producers for the country’s army-owned Channel 5 made a similar error, using a photograph of actress Meryl Streep when they reported news of Lady Thatcher’s death this morning.
For nearly two minutes, the channel displayed Lady Thatcher’s biography alongside a picture of Streep in character for the film The Iron Lady, which tells the story of the former PM’s life. The production team wrote on Facebook later: ‘We will improve and develop our work more carefully and are deeply sorry.’
Lady Thatcher died yesterday at the Ritz Hotel in London aged 87 after suffering a stroke.
© Daily Mail, London
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