A weather reporter was seen dramatically fighting the severe winds of Hurricane Florence as two guys easily walked behind him without any sort of bracing, leading some to question the authenticity of mainstream media.
In a video clip that has gone viral ever since it surfaced online, Mike Seidel, a reporter with The Weather Channel, was seen staggering and swaying due to “strong” winds while reporting in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Friday.
However, in the same video frame, two pedestrians were seen strolling around behind him without any apparent support as the reporter shot the over-dramatic live segment.
In the video, Seidel appears to have braced his feet deeper into the grassy area so as to fight the extreme wind.
But his apparent bracing against the “severe” winds was undermined by two people who walked behind him in a usual manner as if nothing was wrong.
The juxtaposition led the internet users to wonder why the reporter of over 25 years was being so dramatic.
“So dramatic! Dude from the weather channel bracing for his life, as 2 dudes just stroll past. #HurricaneFlorence,” one Twitter user wrote with the video clip that has garnered more than 28.4 million views within just 5 days.
The snippet was widely shared online and thousands of people took to social media networks to criticize the fabricated drama and question the authenticity of mainstream media.
“Those other guys probably have superhuman abilities,” one user wrote on Twitter.
“You can’t trust the mainstream media. Ever,” added another user.
One person wrote: “Clearly the two men walking by have rocks in their pockets. That is the only logical explanation.”
Another said: “The slow moving storm hasn’t reached those guys yet.”
The Weather Channel, however, defended the reporter and released a statement, claiming he was “exhausted” and standing in a different area than the people seen in the background.
“It’s important to note that the two individuals in the background are walking on concrete, and Mike Seidel is trying to maintain his footing on wet grass, after reporting on-air until 1:00 a.m. ET this morning and is undoubtedly exhausted,” the statement said.