ITV confuses IRA attack with ArmA clip

By Fred Dutton Published 27 September, 2011

UPDATE: Broadcaster cites "human error".

UPDATE: ITV has commented on the error, insisting it was all down to plain old human error. Here's the statement:

"The events featured in Exposure: Gaddafi and the IRA were genuine but it would appear that during the editing process the correct clip of the 1988 incident was not selected and other footage was mistakenly included in the film by producers. This was an unfortunate case of human error for which we apologise."

ORIGINAL STORY:In an extraordinary blunder, ITV documentary series Exposure last night broadcast what it claimed was real life combat footage filmed by the IRA, when in fact it was just a cinematic taken from PC FPS ArmA II.

You can see the offending clip, which the show labelled as an IRA attack on British forces in 1988, over on YouTube.

ITV is yet to comment on how the mix-up happened but has promised us a comment is forthcoming. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile ArmA II developer Bohemia Interactive has chimed in, with CEO Marek Spanel telling Spong of his bewilderment at the cock-up.

"It is very weird to see our game used this way, especially considering the journalists were simply unable to tell difference between reality and game footage and described a short film clearly made using our game Arma II with what they call real IRA footage from 1988," he said.

"Our games offer great level of freedom to our users to create all kind of things but in this particular case, it is very misleading. At the moment we are gathering further information about the matter but I already had a chance to see the documentary and so far I am not sure how could they make such an obvious mistake.

"On a somewhat more positive note, we consider this as a bizarre appreciation of the level of realism incorporated into our games."

Picture of Fred.

About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (78) Latest comment 8 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Pickster #1 8 months ago

    Wow

    ITV hits a new low

  • Scimarad #2 8 months ago

    That's hilarious:)

    And scary...

  • Zackv4861 #3 8 months ago

    Oh dear, and it's journalists that want to criticise us gamers. Tut tut. Does that mean now they can't distinguish between games and real life they're going on some killing spree so everyone has another reason to attack GTA

  • deadstoned #4 8 months ago

    /facepalm

    ITV cant do serious documentaries any more it seems.

  • bad09 #5 8 months ago

    That.Is.Awesome.

    I always thought the london riots looked oddly like Little Haiti at dusk.....

  • pinchofsalt #6 8 months ago

    Chris Morris couldn't have written it better.

  • FeralYouth #7 8 months ago

    It's starting to seem like "The Day Today" and "Brasseye" were in fact documentaries about future news reports.
    Edited by FeralYouth at 27/09/11 @ 17:20

  • mortiz666 #8 8 months ago

    Coranation Street

  • the_dudefather #9 8 months ago

    On tonight's 10pm news: Shocking footage of a rampaging bear

  • ShiftyGeezer #10 8 months ago

    I'm thinking someone at ITV was messing around, as the original clip has been processed to make it look more handycam. Wouldn't be surprised if someone at the production company loses their job for this.

    Still, it's a scray warning for the future, a la Running Man, when computers can be used to fake events and no-one will know the wiser. I expect Battlefronts 3 to be the next mistaken game!

  • LazyNinjaUk #11 8 months ago

    Can't wait for the next edition of Panorama when the BBC exposes the questionable medical techniques employed by the NHS using some footage of Trauma Center.

  • Timotei #12 8 months ago

    @the_dudefather

    Proper lol

  • neilka #13 8 months ago

    The article seems to contradict itself - is it from the game or is it user-created?

  • -cerberus- #14 8 months ago

    Insert 'Tommy Lee Jones Implied Facepalm'-meme here.

  • Timotei #15 8 months ago

    "The article seems to contradict itself - is it from the game or is it user-created?"

    Both, it's user-created ArmA II footage.

  • kentmonkey #16 8 months ago

    They just won the 'free to air' channel of the year as well. Says a lot for their competition.

    ITV

    Incompetent
    Technological
    Vermin

  • Markitron #17 8 months ago

    This isnt gonna help the cause. When ppl read about this the whole 'GTA killed my Son' brigade are gonna go nuts

  • altitude2k #18 8 months ago

    If they were struggling for footage, they should have tried to get some from the CCTV at the Choristers club in Norwich. I hear they have meetings there from time to time.

  • Bullet_Tunnel #19 8 months ago

    The "News" is all bullshit anyway, its the equivalent of dangleing keys infront of a baby. You think they actually show you whats going on in the world!!!, they show you what they want you to know so that you pliable little minds think in patterns that suit them.. eg buy this, give us money, give us more money, who do you think owns the media?, a gang of do-gooding jedi knights that strive to bring justice and peace to mankind?, or a family ran empire with many fingers in many pies that see us a way to do all the hard work for them, then give them back the paper tokens they gave to us in the first place? the sooner we all start seeing through the manipulation, the sooner they will announce a new killer disease on the loose,"horse flu is pandemic!!! hide your kids and stockpile this specific expensive medicine , and hope you survive until the next terrorist attack"

    update you fucking pricks,, seen the news lately, the bankers confession, score one to the nutjobs, fucking bovine morons
    "The world you know is a candy coated topping, there is another world beneath it" ( i know its from blade, but its spot on)
    Edited by Bullet_Tunnel at 29/09/11 @ 12:38

  • glottis0 #20 8 months ago

    @neilka - console gamers. *rolleyes*

    Yes I neg me too.

  • Machetazo #21 8 months ago

    "From PCGamer dot com - We’ve been in touch with Bohemia Interactive’s CEO, Marek Spanel. He tells us that Bohemia weren’t approached by ITV for permission to use the footage, and had no idea that Arma 2 was appearing in a war documentary on British TV. "

    I found that in the Youtube comments, but honestly, what a godawful clanger from ITV.

    Edited by Machetazo at 27/09/11 @ 17:48

  • Graveland #22 8 months ago

    But the question on everyone's lips: Does Eurogamer rate it 8/10 or 4/10?

  • Geowolf #23 8 months ago

    @Graveland /\

    Surely that depends on which format its on?

  • Eraserhead #24 8 months ago

    @Bullet_Tunnel:

    Yeah man! Fight the power! NWO and black helicopters! If only we weren't all all so brainwashed, unlike you!

    By the way, do you want to buy some genuine Nike trainers? Let's facelift bar...
    Edited by Eraserhead at 27/09/11 @ 17:56

  • rottingyoda #25 8 months ago

    Jam - Casual Broadcasters

  • Lonewolf2002 #26 8 months ago

    Surely they should of realised that real life has better Anti-aliasing than that?

  • Ed6445 #27 8 months ago

    Leaked transcripts recorded the chilling, almost robotic voice of the attackers: 'All...attack Chopper at...2...o'clock.'

  • Nuada #28 8 months ago

    They mixed up their footage and it's a clip from their new series, 'Thr Only Way Is Cullyhanna' :)

  • Bullet_Tunnel #29 8 months ago

    Eraserhead... its not nwo, its old world order, or standard operating procedure, read some history books, or sit back and look at the world. especially since ww2,the ideas of the nazis eg facism, asides from mass genoside, are rife throughout all aspects of society,they were evil murdering bastards but they knew how to manipulate their subjects. And todays world started once the usa stepped in ww2 to save the day(ie pilfer tech and scientist, like victor von braun, invertor of the v2, lived in usa, died a free and happy man, after working jews to death). we need control because were all fucking morons, you and me included, but do you think the people in charge give a shit about your existence, your just monetary figure in a banks predictions for future profit. And you dont need a tinfoil hat to see that, if you just look past the tits and arse, and the worship of celebrity.But thats what is there for in the first place. so read a book that isnt fiction, and worry more about your childrens future than some sports score table. Or watch Bill Hicks and George Carlin.

    ha ha negged, boo hoo, oh well "give a man proof his beliefs are false, then his beliefs will be made stronger"
    Edited by Bullet_Tunnel at 27/09/11 @ 18:28

  • uknortherner2000 #30 8 months ago

    If I were Bullet_Tunnel, I'd be seeking a refund on that tinfoil hat.

  • dirtysteve #31 8 months ago

    Ye have no idea of the tragedy behind the irish struggle, I had to go to THREE differetn websites before I could get a decently priced 560 ti.

    Tiocfaidh ár Lan.

  • DreadedWalrus #32 8 months ago

    Statement on the Radio Times website:

    "The events featured in Exposure: Gadaffi and the IRA were genuine but it would appear that during the editing process the correct clip of the incident was not selected and other footage was mistakenly included in the film by producers. This was an unfortunate case of human error for which we apologise"

    http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2011-09-2...

  • TonyCB #33 8 months ago

    ITV1 - Terrestial Channel Of the Year 2011.....at least that's what *they* claim!!

  • RodHull #34 8 months ago

    To be fair, video game developers have been strapping video footage off developers for years. For Banjo-Kazooie, Rare simply digitised footage from the Rodney King riots.

  • Incarta #35 8 months ago

    This a week or so after research said gamers can't tell the difference between real life and fantasy. Jokers!

  • natureboy #36 8 months ago

    If it were the BBC the internet will be up in arms and looking for blood

  • Lucodeath #37 8 months ago

    These news people love to blame violence on video games, its taking it a bit to far though.

  • coolbritannia #38 8 months ago

    @Eraserhead, you do realise black helicopters exist right? There's one in pieces outside Bin Laden's house.

  • Fozzie_bear #39 8 months ago

    This bullet tunnel chap is proper mental, isn't he?

  • jablonski #40 8 months ago

    Footage has definitly been messed about with to conceal it's a game.
    Someone at ITV or from the production did this on purpose

  • SaintDaveUK #41 8 months ago

    ITV said that the IRA gave them this footage. So it was the IRA themselves trying to make it look like they shot down a helicopter, surely? That makes more sense, but still, awful play Mr ITV in not noticing...

  • drhickman1983 #42 8 months ago

    @Bullet_Tunnel

    I negged you, not so much for your views about the media being manipulated by those in powerful positions, but more because you come across rather sanctimoniously. Most people are well aware the media is biased towards maintaining the status quo. And whilst some people may be carried off by the popular media's current zeitgeist and dumped into the shallow pool of celebrity culture, most people simply aren't.

    So settle down your bucking high horse and climb down amongst us, we aren't nearly as blind as you seem to imply.

  • dirtysteve #43 8 months ago

    IRA are very enthusiastic modders, to be fair.

  • azic #44 8 months ago

    ONLY ON PC....
    Jump in....
    As real as it gets kiddies.

  • PaulieWaulie #45 8 months ago

    Post deleted at 14:23:40 06-01-2012

  • digitalash #46 8 months ago

    To be fair, at that low resolution shakycam style quality it looks real enough - until the smoke from the helicopter starts to appear in little neat puffs and you notice that the soldiers are barely moving!

    ITV are utter chumps.

  • gm914 #47 8 months ago

    @Bullet Train.
    I'll be honest. I negged you for quoting 'Blade'.

  • Collymilad #48 8 months ago

    +1 to Bullet_Tunnel

    It's funny, all the negs yet these people don't realise they're just programmed that way.

    See, I even seem insane typing this. THATS HOW BRAINWASHED YOU ARE.

    /runs into the woods naked.

  • jamieleng #49 8 months ago

    @BulletTunnel

    You tell people to go read some non-fiction after quoting a comic book character.

  • Freek #50 8 months ago

    This was simply poorly researched.
    If you go on Youtube and search for "IRA helicopter" you'll find this clip:

    [link url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJDeipvpjGQ
    ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJDeipvpjGQ
    [/link]

    If you simply took that at face value you might think it was video footage of an event. But really, who looks for video material for their documentary and uses Youtube without further fact checking????

  • rudedudejude #51 8 months ago

    Mistakenly?

    Fuck off!

    "Oh yeh, we just mistakenly edited this game clip that shows the exact same scene and it fell onto the cutting room floor at the exact moment the real clip should have been entered..."

  • Roland_on_the_Ropes #52 8 months ago

    'no one died in this attack'...

    Phew. For a second there I thought I may have been personally responsible for thousands of deaths over the years, not to mention possibly the greatest goal ever scored in an FA Cup Final.

    Reaffirmed my faith in the digital / real-life divide. Don't confuse me again.

    Oh and if it's not Fox, it's not news ;)

  • the_sas_man #53 8 months ago

    Second most read story on BBC! HA!

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ir...

  • AdamAsunder #54 8 months ago

    Hahahahahahaha.

    Oh my fucking god, that is a fail of epic proportions. I thought Jeremy Kyle and This Morning were the lowest it could go.

    That has seriously made my day.

  • UkHardcore23 #55 8 months ago

    NO SURRENDER TO THE IRA!

  • Dave52 #56 8 months ago

    ITV reckon they're gonna re-cut the documentary to include the correct clip, then upload it to their website. If they don't have an IRA Movie showing them shooting down a British Helicopter, ITV should be nailed to the fucking wall.

    Still, TV Fakery in the News is nothing new.

    BBC showing an Indian Festival and claiming it was Libyans celebrating in Tripoli - [link url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DizWsAARRE
    ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DizWsAARRE
    [/link]
    CNN fake footage during Gulf War 1 - [link url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTWY14eyMFg
    ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTWY14eyMFg
    [/link]
    And, lest we forget fake witnesses during 9/11 - [link url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5y8PtfKA14
    ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5y8PtfKA14
    [/link]

  • H_D_Swagger #57 8 months ago

    Anyone with a even a passing interest in the north would be able to tell you that wasn't real footage, the IRA never had what looks like anti aircraft guns on the back of trucks.

  • DisgustedOfEngland #58 8 months ago

    So the clip that they chose was the right clip, but the wrong clip aired.

    Where have I heard something like that before...
    Edited by DisgustedOfEngland at 27/09/11 @ 22:03

  • dirtysteve #59 8 months ago

    It's been removed from Youtube, thus erasing the embarrassment, right?

  • Murxidon #60 8 months ago

    ITV is painfully bad these days. Completely unwatchable. Their schedules are filled with trashy programmes aimed at the lowest common denominator and they seem to celebrate the fact they are now the most offensively tasteless channel on terrestrial television, a title Channel 4 spent years trying to get rid of. Heck, Five is better than ITV now, even with its atrocious Big Brother revival.

  • BassPunk #61 8 months ago

    I watched it in HD last night and it looked real

  • up_the_ante #62 8 months ago

    ITV should do a documentary on that group of 4 soldiers that had to defend a house from hordes of Nazi zombies at the end of world war II, repairing the house defenses as they did so. There's loads of footage on youtube...

  • TagemandBagem #63 8 months ago

    "Anyone with a even a passing interest in the north would be able to tell you that wasn't real footage, the IRA never had what looks like anti aircraft guns on the back of trucks. "

    You clearly don't even have a passing interest.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF-iHsyjJPY
    Edited by TagemandBagem at 28/09/11 @ 01:01

  • chessboxer #64 8 months ago

    I'm waiting for ITV to report on Scolar Visari's broadcast to the people of Helghan telling that they need to and will get revenge on the United Colonial Nations...

  • Nithron #65 8 months ago

    The problem with people like Bullet Tunnel is that they make anyone seriously discussing society and it's problems look insane by association.

    There really are issues with corruption, media manipulation and unfair distribution of wealth. Often, however, trying to discuss them reasonably gets you lumped into the same category as Bullet Tunnel, and everyone thinks your ideas come from the time you got high and watched 9 seasons of the X Files back-to-back.

    I'm sure he means well, but the delivery leaves something to be desired.
    Edited by Nithron at 28/09/11 @ 02:47

  • ballshock #66 8 months ago

    Next week will there be a program of Gadaffis link with CIA OR MI6?
    or what about links with Tony Blair, who want was his "advisor"

    Probably not

  • overcorpse #67 8 months ago

    "There really are issues with corruption, media manipulation and unfair distribution of wealth. Often, however, trying to discuss them reasonably"

    Discussing things reasonably is code for "lets do nothing",but if your happy to have your civil liberties eroded day after day whilst the corporate takeover of the planet goes on unchecked then you carry on sir,i hope you and the other sheeple will be very happy together.

  • KopparbergDave #68 8 months ago

    I did editing at Uni (still no job) but even I can tell you that you do not just throw footage in that you 'somehow' have gotten hold of and then forget about it, and certainly not for something being aired on the country's biggest commercial free to air channel. What the hell was going on here for this to happen?

    The only real explanations would be thus: An aging editor with poor eyesight gets given this footage and honestly doesn't realise. If not that option then someone else put this in on purpose as some kind of game of chicken with their career, which they may be regretting right about now. Thing is the director/producer should have watched the whole thing through and especially for footage that makes you sit up and get interested rather than yet more talking heads it really is astounding no one questioned it. Seriously boggles my mind how this happened.

  • Dave52 #69 8 months ago

    No, the real explanation is that the Corporate Media lies to you on a regular basis in order to push an agenda of Fear and War.

  • CaptainKid #70 8 months ago

    Video is removed..

  • RedPanda #71 8 months ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • filipo #72 8 months ago

    I'm guessing it was editing placeholder.

  • acuratebob #73 8 months ago

    My thoughts are why do they store video game footage in the first place? to recreate actual events?

    Surley somebody would have noticed that truck jumping up and down quickly to even think it wasnt real...

    also, way to go ARMA 2 for being belivingly mistaken for real footage.

  • drhickman1983 #74 8 months ago

    @overcorpse

    Yes, because ranting rather unintelligably is really going to smash the state. But your right of course, talking reasonably wont in itself change much, but it's certainly preferable to ranting and raving, which helps nobody. Talking reasonably might actually get more people interested in politics and such, rather than just making them think you're crazy.

    So tell me, seeing how you find talking reasonably so useless, have you took part in any direct action recently? Or is your "fighting the system" limited to posting passive/aggresive comments on various forums?

  • H_D_Swagger #75 8 months ago

    @TagemandBagem

    It's difficult to see cleary what exactly is being fired from the truck in the video you posted, but if you look at the link below you'll see they have heavy machine guns, not anti aircraft guns.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIgNj43S9...

  • shave_my_donkey #76 8 months ago

    UP DE RA!

  • TagemandBagem #77 8 months ago

    @H_D_Swagger

    They are firing two Dshks, anti-aircraft guns.

    http://world.guns.ru/machine/rus/dshk-ds...

  • H_D_Swagger #78 8 months ago

    @TagemandBagem
    I bow to your superior knowledge!
    What I meant was the IRA never had what they showed in the ArmA video, big anti aircraft guns that you cant carry around, like in Battlefield say.