Wearing Rubbers in the Rain

Reporting in a hurricane is dangerous business, and it’s important for journalists to protect themselves and their gear.  A savvy reporter caught viewers’ attention on Wednesday for doing just that as she reported on Hurricane Ian near Naples, Florida, with a condom over her microphone.

WBBH-TV’s Kyla Galer cleared the air on her Instagram story after baffled social media users wondered what they were seeing.  “It is what you think it is,” Galer said. “It’s a condom. It helps protect the gear. We can’t get these mics wet. There’s a lot of wind, a lot of rain. So, we gotta do what we gotta do, and that is: put a condom on the microphone.”

Another local journalist, Jeff Butera of WZVN-TV in Naples, chimed in to help his colleague field questions about the technique.  “We practice safe hurricane reporting,” he quipped. “Yes, it’s a condom. Nothing better to waterproof a microphone.”