Isa Balado was broadcasting live on air when the man walked up and appeared to touch her.

Isa Balado was reporting on a Madrid robbery on Tuesday when he walked up and appeared to touch her bottom, which he denied when she confronted him.

Ms Balado tried to continue, but was interrupted by the programme’s host.

“Isa, forgive me for interrupting you… but did he just touch your bottom?” Nacho Abad asked.

The reporter confirmed it, and Mr Abad told her to put the “idiot” on camera, to which the shot moves to show both Isa Balado and the man, who was still standing with her, smiling and laughing.

“As much as you want to ask what channel we are from, do you really have to touch my bottom? I’m doing a live show and I’m working,” Ms Balado told him.

The man then denied touching her, and as he walked away attempted to tickle her head.

Police later said a man had been arrested for allegedly assaulting a reporter while she was doing a live television show, in a message posted on X, formerly Twitter.

  • kindernacht@lemmy.worldEnglish
    30·
    1 year ago

    You are definitely right. That was kind of my point.

    It’s sad that her immediate response was to feel the need to remain “professional”, instead of slapping the douchebag.

    Hopefully more hosts, producers, and maybe eventually the public can start making this behavior not ok

    • QHC@lemmy.one
      9·
      1 year ago

      instead of slapping the douchebag.

      I’d imagine that is the reaction that at least 50% of male reporters would have had.

      Of course, most of us dudes are so rarely sexually assaulted in public like this that it would be a unique thing, further underscoring the parent’s whole point about the reporter’s reaction being the most tragic part.

      • Givesomefucks@kbin.social
        15·
        1 year ago

        Nah, continuing a task while trying to process something like this is something the vast majority of humans would do.

        I remember a common repost on reddit. A female reporter in the 60s asked businessmen on the street about sexual harassment and if it was ok to touch their secretaries. The ones that would say it was ok shed start sexually harassing them and they had no fucking clue what to do.

        They reacted the same way, trying to continue the interview but obviously uncomfortable (even tho they had just been flirting with the attractive reporter).

        I’m a guy (a pretty big guy at that) and I’ve had women grope me out of nowhere during my bar days. It’s a mindfuck, and you just kind of go on autopilot while you try to rationalize what’s happening.

        The woman’s reaction in this video is completely normal.

        • QHC@lemmy.one
          2·
          1 year ago

          Thanks for this dose of reality. It doesn’t matter who you are, I should not judge how anyone reacts to inappropriate touching (or just unexpected events in general).