Imagining News

Could NASA Workers Be Sabotaging Shuttles?, WESH
“NASA is taking a new approach to catch any rogue employees in the act of possibly sabotaging space shuttles. No one suspects any intentional damage to the shuttle Endeavour at the launch pad, where workers Wednesday night were just getting access after the morning’s scrub. But NASA is investigating whether someone would damage the shuttle’s fuel lines on purpose to possibly cause a delay that would, in turn, delay upcoming layoffs. The horror of the Challenger accident shows in the faces in Mission Control. The pieces of Columbia reflect space disaster. NASA has known much tragedy, but none of it is traceable to sabotage.”
Keith’s note: Gee, what a misleading headline from WESH. The article is about some studies NASA is doing to see if sabotage “might” be an issue using words such as “would”, “if” etc. The headline asks if sabotage is happening – with no proof (that I can see) to even hint that such a thing has happened and/or that NASA is investigating actual events as suspected sabotage at this attempt. Alas, word has it that this all arose from a reporter’s hypothetical question to Leroy Cain at a post-scrub press event. And now the media is creating a story out of thin air. Watch as other reporters create stories based on other reporter’s stories … And the media wonders why some folks at NASA do not take the press seriously? Stay tuned.
Some Stories are too Good to Check Out…, Miles O’Brien
“We all know every reporter worth his notebook wants to score a scoop – a big “exclusive” that will make him a newsroom hero – but sometimes the pressure to produce will lead a good scribe down a dark alley. This item from WESH-TV in Orlando is a good example of how a rumor mixed with a hunch leads to some pointed, loaded questions, which in turn prompts some unclear, easily-misconstrued answers. Voila – an Action News Sensation! Too bad it is not “sweeps” month…”