Wednesday, May 30, 2012

BBC mistake computer game logo for United Nations Security Council symbol

The BBC mistakenly aired the logo from a computer game rather than the United Nations in what seems to be an example of when a Google search goes wrong. In a News at One bulletin about the United Nations Security Council, the channel accidentally used the logo of the fictitious United Nations Space Command from Microsoft's Halo.



The presenter Sophie Raworth was talking about Amnesty International's criticism of the UN involvement in the ongoing conflict in Syria. But next to the Amnesty symbol behind her was not the light blue of the UNSC symbol but the black and gold of the computer game organisation.

It appears to be the result of a Google image search gone wrong, as a simple search for UNSC only returns images from Halo. This is perhaps because the UN security council does not have a logo of its own, instead using the United Nations globe symbol surrounded by laurel leaves.


YouTube link.

A BBC spokesman apologised for the mix up in a statement. "BBC News makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all images broadcast, however very occasionally mistakes do happen," a spokesman said. Unfortunately an incorrect logo was used during a segment on last week's News at One bulletin and we apologise to viewers for the mistake. The image was not broadcast in our later bulletins."

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