I've read that the actor unintentionally used it the wrong way round, and pointed it out to the director while filming, and they made him do it again with it still upside down.. He liked the idea that he was such an idiot that he couldn't even use a phone.
Fair enough if he used it upside-down intentionally, but the fact remains, if he spoke into the earpiece then how did the other end (the news team) receive what he was saying?