(The truth is out there Scully! | Source: AP Photo/KMGH-TV)

Of course, I’m referring to yesterday’s now infamous event where six-year-old Falcon Heene seemingly took off in an experimental weather balloon. As we all know, the boy was not in the balloon, but rather, hiding in his attic. While we appreciate the boy’s safety, how did officials miss out on checking the home for him? Why didn’t one of Falcon’s siblings, who originally told officials that he had fallen out before the balloon took off, come forward earlier? How did this become a national story, where the event enjoys the top trending spots on Twitter and every major news outlet has features on it today?

The importance of fact-checking is paramount to quality journalism. Yet when I watched the balloon-boy on various channels, I was shocked at how little they knew, but were going on and on. Shepard on Fox News was talking about what the family was thinking, local affiliate WHDH 7 News featured commentary involving all the emergency personnel on the scene, but CNN’s Rick Sanchez talked to an expert who looked at the balloon and claimed that it would be impossible for a boy to be on there, but continued to report the same news.

(‘Here on the Rick Sanchez show, we’ll let you know there is nobody on the balloon, but follow the story as if danger is about. Tune in!)

Let me repeat that: CNN provided expert analysis that suggested the boy wasn’t on the balloon, well before it landed, and decided NOT to do anything with that tidbit. Huh? Why would they want to rope people along then? CNN’s intentions were on full display a few moments later when Sanchez, with a stern and sorrowful tone, stated they would be on a tape delay when the balloon lands out of ‘respect for the family’ (7 News apparently did not have this moralistic approach; they had a live feed going the whole time).

So, again, how did we all get roped into following an empty balloon float across Colorado? Well, naturally, we are interested in the unusual. P.T. Barnum figured that out years ago. But children? We covet and protect them, and as such, when one is in danger, we tune in. While I don’t have the numbers in front of me yet, I can assure you that all the major news outlets ratings increased in those hours yesterday. Hell, as I was jogging, I must have done another half-mile because of my own curiosity on the subject.

When the balloon landed, and little Falcon was not present, the reporting immediately suggested he may have fallen out somewhere along the way. That’s much more calming for the audience, right? Are you starting to figure it out yet?

Currently, our news system is not so much interested in quality, but quantity. Each station was trying to get the best expert for the subject; the quickest feed; the most insightful observations; or the best computer graphics to illustrate what may have happened. Even though the witness was not credible (Falcon’s sibling), the family was questionably publicity driven (the family has been on Wife Swap...twice), and experts suggested there was nothing on the balloon to begin with, all I saw in headlines during suggested calamity.

I can appreciate that a story with a truly bizarre theme like this is hard to resist. What I cannot condone is shoddy work in investigating the affair as a whole. What we witnessed yesterday actually seems to be more like a publicity stunt. In fact, CNN again made news with this clip:

If the clip isn’t working, my apologies, but basically displays the family together and being interviewed by Wolf Blitzer. Wolf asks, ‘why didn’t you come downstairs from the attic?’ to which Falcon says, ‘we did this for the show.’ While this story will now turn to the family and their motivations, I’m truly hoping that the media doesn’t just sneak off unscathed. They were responsible for making this into a national event, even though it didn’t warrant the attention in the slightest. They had the power to achieve true knowledge on the subject, but decided tabloid style reporting was the appropriate path.

While little Falcon and his family now comes under public scrutiny, so too does my trust in American journalism.

Tags: Cnn, publicity, publicity stunt, balloon, wife swap

(CNN special takes advantage of the timelines of the Gates arrest)

This story is a prime example of how publicity works and which major players are needed for a story to get ‘legs.’ When the story first broke, headlines about the arrest of a prominent African-American scholar of Harvard read something like, “Harvard Professor Arrested At Home.” As details emerged, a charged word was thrown in: racism. The Boston Globe made the story into a feature and then stated in their by-line “Racial talk swirls with Gates arrest.”

While race may have been an important factor for this case overall, what if race was never mentioned to begin with? Or would this story still have made news if the roles were reversed (ie black cop and white defendant)? It is hard to say, but it is clear we are all still very racially sensitive. That being said, when media outlets use words like ‘racism’ and ‘hate-crimes,’ we need to make sure that they are not only reporting accurately and fairly, but also not creating hype out of nothing.

Is this a nothing story? Well, not necessarily. It clearly demonstrates that there is room for discussion, at the very least. But when charged words enter our media, they quickly gain traction. At the time of this writing, CNN and The Boston Globe both featured a Gates related story, and for both, it was the top read story of the day (so far). It is also no coincidence that both outlets have been hosting racial talks and debates, all with increased viewership and readership.

(Who really won here? Answer: The Media | Courtesy: demotiximages.com )

Whether you agree that this story is evidence of racism, or whether you believe this is just another overblown story, it matters little. The media has carved a niche in the story and will exploit every angle possible. Perhaps Gates himself had the most to contribute in making this story larger than life.

Controversial civil rights leaders, Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson, immediately released statements condemning said incidents, on behalf of their friend, Gates. Next, an interview with his daughter, titled, “My Daddy, the Jailbird,” where Ms. Gates indeed questions her father by starting with “Daddy.” And now, a special appearance on said CNN special where Gates will be talking directly to Americans nationwide tonight.

Again, I would like to remind my audience that I have no strong opinion on the arrest of Gates. But when you assemble an all-star cast of biased and non-credible sources (ie personal friends and family members), you look questionable.

So, will you tune in tonight to see this Harvard professor tell us why he is about to sue the city of Cambridge? Do you believe that this story deserves this kind of attention? Or does it deserve even more attention?

I would love to hear from you on this issue, but please realize, I’m not going to debate the semantics of what actually transpired. I’m more interested in how you think media influences us on these hot topic issues. Click the link below to leave a comment!

Tags: gates, Cnn, Boston globe, Boston, Cambridge, Racism, bias, publicity