A rather embarrassing moment left NBC reeling after "Nightly News" Anchor Lester Holt appears to have been thoroughly fooled by North Korean propaganda. Holt gave a cheery report from a 'ski resort' in the Hermit Kingdom that appeared to be bustling when in reality it is commonly known to be a ghost town.
For those familiar with North Korea's propaganda tactics, you will recognize that the set behind Holt is totally manufactured complete with actors and props to recreate the appearance of a happy and thriving people. In reality, the people at the ski resort are forced to be there and act as though it is any other normal day and life is great.
Holt returned early from North Korea to face scathing reviews after claiming to be reporting from the 'Masikryong ski resort', a facility that is actually the brainchild of the nation's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. The facility is normally empty and was built to create the appearance of a thriving and prosperous nation.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">An <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBCNews</a> exclusive: “We have been treated with respect here.” <a href="https://twitter.com/LesterHoltNBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@lesterholtnbc</a> is just a few hours outside the capital of Pyongyang with a rare look inside North Korea <a href="https://t.co/xTZM6QcLEy">pic.twitter.com/xTZM6QcLEy</a></p>— TODAY (@TODAYshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/955414771712577536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The so-called 'ski resort' was largely deserted during the peak 2017 ski season, according to reports from multiple sources. For the brief newscast with Lester Holt, Kim Jong Un appears to have staged the scene, something that slipped past Lester Holt entirely. Holt called the resort a "source of immense pride for a country trying to present a new and modern face to the world."
One NBC insider asked, "Who produced this garbage? It is field producing 101 – don’t do a standup somewhere that’s been staged by a dictatorial regime." Holt's coverage was apparently overseen by NBC News President Noah Oppenheim who traveled to the dictatorship with a camera crew.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">pro tip for <a href="https://twitter.com/LesterHoltNBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LesterHoltNBC</a>: when everyone is wearing matching jackets it is a staged event. <a href="https://t.co/TqQPrTJiKJ">https://t.co/TqQPrTJiKJ</a></p>— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) <a href="https://twitter.com/RichardGrenell/status/955439330234806272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Now, people are questioning the networks ability to accurately report the Korean peninsula going into the Olympics. President Trump's nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell had some advice for Holt telling him to be more wary of the clues that indicate a staged event.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sure is nice of NBC to help North Korea rehab their image from beating and torturing an American citizen to death. Hope Otto Warmbier's family is watching! <a href="https://t.co/EX9CHFGQ6U">https://t.co/EX9CHFGQ6U</a></p>— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) <a href="https://twitter.com/redsteeze/status/955830744911368192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Others had harsher words for the network.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Lester Holt enjoying his cushy trip through North Korea as if it isn't all staged. Will the NBC crew get to see the concentration camps held in NK and the starving orphans that walk through their streets? Maybe they can give us a live feed of Conan's Haiti trip in the meantime. <a href="https://t.co/jrMPGtm13v">https://t.co/jrMPGtm13v</a></p>— Abdi Rage Mohamed 👓 (@abdiragemohamed) <a href="https://twitter.com/abdiragemohamed/status/955648369598267392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">When you thought NBC/MSNBC couldn't get any worse, they're now taking to propping up the regime in North Korea and getting fooled by its Potemkin village.<a href="https://t.co/c7PEITtIfY">https://t.co/c7PEITtIfY</a></p>— Jordan Schachtel (@JordanSchachtel) <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanSchachtel/status/955466628975742976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Say it can't be a Liberal Main Stream Media outlet , violating NK the Travel Ban and etc…. is hood winkled or were they playing along hoping to hoodwink the public and develop and spew an anti-TRUMP story line.