CNN Used A Clip From "Fallout 4" To Talk About Hacking And The Internet Is Amused

Like most major news outlets, CNN is frequently criticized for being fake and biased news. Their latest mishap isn’t that bad, but its enough for people to make fun of them relentlessly on the internet. Just before the New Year, CNN showed a report on the US’ response to Russian hacking in the United States. During a section where they talked specifically about Russian hackers, the news outlet decided to use a clip of the hacking mini-game in video game "Fallout 4" to represent hacking. Bad idea.

To the casual observer, the video simply appears as a series of greenish letters, numbers and symbols on the screen. However, nothing gets past the internet. A few reddit users in the /r/fallout4 subreddit immediately started a thread which picked up steam before being reported widely.

While 90% of CNN’s audience will never know the difference between the clip from Fallout 4 and real coding, it’s both a funny mistake and sad symbol of the United States’ lack of understanding of the digital world. The original clip can be found on CNN's website.