[justlurking]

I heard she thought she was off the air and was flipping the bird to a technician who was giving her a hard time.

The cited article says that. Frankly, I think that's a plausible explanation.

But, you have to admit that it's terrible publicity. If a newsreader had done that while reading a news story about Bush or Reagan, how would you have reacted?

[Maceman]

If a newsreader had done that while reading a news story about Bush or Reagan, how would you have reacted?

Isn't that essentially how American newsreaders reported on Bush and Reagan anyway?

[scrabblehack]

The way she is reading the news story I don’t think it’s plausible that she thought she was off the air.

But I don’t know enough about the news business to say whether the other part is plausible — are the technicians giving the newsreaders instructions (peppered with whatever personal comments) throughout the broadcast?