This shooting may hold the record for least accurate first impression reporting

[cthulu2016]

A dead father in Hoboken becomes a dead mother in Newtown, CT.

A public school teacher shot in front of her class becomes a non-teacher shot at home, receiving $260K/year in alimony.

A gun found in a car outside the school is identified as being the murder weapon... which is impossible since the shooter is dead inside the school.

Ryan Lanza is handcuffed and taken away by police. Ryan Lanza is identified on TV as the shooter. The shooter is, however, known to be dead inside the school.


It's quite amazing really. The 'fog of war' is one thing, but how someone who does not teach dead in their home becomes a school teacher killed in front of her kindergarten class... it's one for the books.


I think the biggest cause of this effect—aside from the TV/internet era pressure to be first, of course— is leaks from law enforcement. They are not organized, not cleared, and cannot be sourced. And the leakers are probably often not very involved in the investigation.

[Jennicut]

1. Too much of a rush to get info out before all the facts were known.

I just cannot get over the huge amount of media presence in Newtown. I have never seen anything like it and I have lived my entire life here in CT.
Connecticut is small to begin with. I think a lot of people in this state will be happy when the media leaves and just lets people deal with with what happened.

[Robb]

2. We should mark down who, and which networks

jumped on the "guess what I heard" reporting boat. And mock them endlessly. It's absurd.

[Blecht]

3. One of the main reasons I finally got rid of my cable TV box

i've been considering it for awhile, and the events of this week (and the horrible coverage) were the last straw. I just took it in yesterday, and I feel so good!

[Fumesucker]

4. I make my living off the evening news, just give me something, something I can use

Don Henley released this song in 1982, does anyone think the news media has in any way improved since then?

I make my living off the Evening News
Just give me something-something I can use
People love it when you lose,
They love dirty laundry

Well, I coulda been an actor, but I wound up here
I just have to look good, I don't have to be clear
Come and whisper in my ear
Give us dirty laundry

Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em all around

We got the bubble-headed-bleach-blonde who
Comes on at five
She can tell you 'bout the plane crash with a gleam
In her eye
It's interesting when people die-
Give us dirty laundry
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/don+henley/dirty+laundry_20042033.html ]
Can we film the operation?
Is the head dead yet?
You know, the boys in the newsroom got a
Running bet
Get the widow on the set!
We need dirty laundry

You don't really need to find out what's going on
You don't really want to know just how far it's gone
Just leave well enough love
Eat your dirty laundry

Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down

Kick 'em when they're up
Kick 'em when they're down
Kick 'em when they're stiff
Kick 'em all around

Dirty little secrets
Dirty little lies
We got our dirty little fingers in everybody's pie
We love to cut you down to size
We love dirty laundry

We can do "The Innuendo"
We can dance and sing
When it's said and done we haven't told you a thing
We all know that Crap is King
Give us dirty laundry!

[slackmaster]

5. I refrained from commenting at all on DU until late yesterday because the story was so fluid

And I have trashed more than 250 threads in the last 24 hours.

[Mz Pip]

6. Rumors become fact

It's not unusual for the initial reports to be inaccurate. Eye witness accounts are often incorrect.

Just look at Benghazi and that happen on the other side of the world in a revolution. Still the opinion of so many was that we should have gotten it right immediately.

It doesn't work that way. Investigations take time but the media feels obligated to put out any and all information, verified or not.

[lunatica]

7. You learn to rely on the press releases held by officials

Everything else can be inaccurate and often is. But there are a few journalists who go to great efforts to get the story right.

It's not just the media where this happens. It happens everyday in real life and especially now with instant communication where anyone can tweet or text whatever comes into their heads.