“This job, man. This job.” – A journalist was caught complaining about his job while still live on air.
The BBC correspondent Dan Johnson accidentally revealed his genuine feelings about his job, and he couldn’t be more relatable.
We have all had times when we just want to storm off our workplace and never return. While many manage to keep their thoughts to themselves, Johnson shared them with a vast audience, having no clue he was still live.
A good reminder – ALWAYS assume you are live on air, whatever goes wrong! 🙈🎙🎥📺 pic.twitter.com/zIZx8eW4Bm
— Dan Johnson (@DanJohnsonNews) September 5, 2021
Amid a discussion with his colleague Shaun Ley about the ongoing Afghanistan crisis, the correspondent appeared to experience technical difficulties that cut the signal on his side of the connection. At the time, Johnson is thought to have been located in Kandahar – the de facto capital of the Taliban.
During the interview, as Unilad reports, Ley asked his colleague a question: “The events in the last few weeks – in the recent week where you are, have been an extraordinary turnabout in events haven’t they?”
However, as Johnson was experiencing technical issues, he couldn’t hear the question and apparently believed the connection crashed entirely. He then sighs: “This job, man. This job,” and walks out of the shot before BBC News returns to Ley in the studio.
Thankfully, he was thoughtful enough to tell the public that Dan had probably “lost the line” and apologize on his behalf.
Johnson himself addressed the awkward situation on Twitter, captioning: “A good reminder – ALWAYS assume you are live on air, whatever goes wrong!”
I was filming with my iPhone, balancing on some cushions in front of the window having only just managed to get in the hotel room and make the connection in time after being locked out by a dodgy room card. As I said, a job with many challenges but always a privilege
— Dan Johnson (@DanJohnsonNews) September 5, 2021
In a follow-up tweet, the journalist explained:
“Power cut broke the line from London so I couldn’t hear the presenter. Thought I’d been taken off air entirely but finished my answer and waited in case, either to allow them to realise and move on or for the sound to return. Thought I’d waited long enough…apparently not. 🙈“
Opening up about the “many challenges” on the job, he added:
“I was filming with my iPhone, balancing on some cushions in front of the window having only just managed to get in the hotel room and make the connection in time after being locked out by a dodgy room card. As I said, a job with many challenges but always a privilege.”
Other empathetic journalists and Twitter users have expressed their support, with one commenting: “We’ve all had days like that Dan!” and another adding: “You deserve a medal for just the discipline to maintain perfect head stillness through the shot.”
