The media ran an unsubstantiated story on October 15th regarding a six year old boy who had been whisked away by a balloon-based experimental aircraft. This was such ‘breaking’ news that CNN interrupted live coverage of President Obama to follow the balloon adrift.
People around the world followed this story and balloon, transfixed over the fate of the "balloon boy." The balloon made its way back to earth, the boy was not there. Was he alive? Did he vanish? Did he break a toy and hide from his parents? More importantly, did journalists probe the parents’ credibility with a simple Google search? (Answer: no, and that search would have revealed the father’s hunger for publicity.)
Today in a Press conference, authorities called the incident a hoax by the boy’s father, Richard Heene. After learning details of this publicity stunt, some reporters delayed coverage of the hoax in order to help law enforcement continue investigating without tipping off the family.
If the press is not an arm of law enforcement, why were the two working so closely together? Was it payback by too easily duped press?
It’s a good thing live car chase coverage still needs a driver.
Adam Hamilton
1 comment:
Personally I heard that it was the police that may have known it was a hoax before they told the media as they were letting the media agree to pay the family money, so that when the state or city or whomever sues/fines the family, they will indeed have the money to pay back all of the costs... the helicopters...infrared cameras... the farmer's field who was ruined when they tried to "catch" the boy as he crashed... well, the balloon anyway.
So was it the media exacting revenge, or was it the police not telling the media so the story could profit and pay back the costs?
Somehow I don't think the media cares it was a hoax, in fact, they're probably glad, they got a few more days out of the story by it being a hoax than if the boy had really flown around in there.
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