That reporter has nobody but himself to blame for being bit. I saw the video.
The dog was half-asleep. It was looking in a different direction. He just reached down quickly and tried to pet its head. He startled it. You don't do that to any dog. If the dog is sleepy like that, you move into its field of view, move your hand slowly where the dog can see it, let the dog sniff, and then if it seems calm, keep your hand still in view to pet it. You don't move quickly if it isn't your dog.
But then, I've also seen people walk up and try to pet dogs that had ears back, tail between legs and lip curled, and wonder why they get snapped at. I've seen people reach down quickly behind a sleeping cat and touch it on the back/head and wonder why it pings into the air with all the claws out. People can be incredibly dumb when it comes to animals.