Anchor breaks down on air while reading news

In what can be considered as an attack on media or perhaps some form of media control by politics, Israel government on May 9, shutdown a national news channel. The news of the channel being shutdown arrived in the mid of bulletin programme and in all of this the video of the news anchor who broke the news of this shutdown of the channel has been recorded and will perhaps be something that will express the inner turmoil of the anchor at firstly losing her job, then her channel and finally the freedom of media.

The video shows a lady anchor reading the news as usual when she is interrupted by a breaking news and then she realises that the news is indeed regarding her own channel and manages to hold back her tears somehow. Israeli channel, Channel One was supposed to go off air on May 15, but it was the sudden news on the 9th that got many surprised.

As per BBC, the employees were aware of the plan of the government to close the state-run Israel Broadcasting Authority, but were not expecting that to be so soon. This has been done under the orders of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following a political battle. While Netanyahu defended is stand on the issue saying the shutdown was part of reforms to create a new replacement organisation, the opposition and the staff of the channel however accused him of making an attempt to control media.

The video clip was released in the official Facebook page of Channel One, where the reporter begins her daily routine but after receiving the news of the shutdown holding on to her tears announce that perhaps that night will be their last edition. She goes on to say that towards the day’s end many people will be jobless and then says she hopes that new jobs will be available for all and public broadcasting will continue to be strong, if it exists in any other form.

Source: Agencies