A phrase that strikes terror into the hearts of civilians.
For our local media the phrase means: report inaccurate misinformation from incomplete reports, and create conjecture from information provided by readers/listeners/viewers via social media. Then, absent "facts", report quickly and breathlessly, only to have to constantly revise stories to more accurately reflect the truth.
What began as an ACTIVE SHOOTER cruising downtown shooting at anything and everything with an AK47 assault rifle, became an ACTIVE SHOOTER shooting at downtown towers (?) just east of downtown. Later, Fort Wayne Police tweeted out the facts.
Yes, facts. Those pesky little things that get in the way of a great news story.
- Facts have been known to throw cold water on most any news story that our local media dream up from incomplete information, guesses, conjecture, and social media reports.
- Facts also have been know to dash the dreams of young "journalists" looking to enhance their resume reel and career as well as their station's ratings and revenue.
But WPTA21 stands behind their story.
The Maven guesses that includes all the inaccuracies and conjecture in their story? (Which has now been revised to bring it closer to the realm of reality). The "towers downtown" are not the same as the "East Central towers east of downtown". Active Shooter wasn't meant to panic the public and glue eyes to WPTA21? Clearly there is a difference between "an AK-47" and "an AK-47-like rifle". Uh huh. Got it.
One bright spot, the Maven can always count on the kids in the WOWO news room to provide a chuckle........a police vehicle wearing handcuffs.
If WOWO reports it, you know it must be true.
FWMM:
ReplyDeleteI am SO GLAD you caught this one, too.
I read the WANE story and the whole "what constitutes an ACTIVE shooter?" was a revelation as to what the FWPD "spokesguys" stated (and the media parroted).
Just because the shooter was NOT targeting anything or anyone in particular (random shots fired) does NOT make this shooter ANY less "active".
As long as he's alive...and shooting, he's ACTIVE.
Sorry, that's the way things work.
They also COULD have said "an AK-STYLE rifle"...that covers all those bases.
Yes, those damn FACTS tend to get in the way of story-telling...heh.
And WOWO (among other news sources in town) needs some lessons in grammar, punctuation, and overall sentence structure.
But we already knew that, right?
Good post.
Stay safe out there.
Also it was "a black man in a white hoodie taken from the house. ". So he's also a thief apparently.
ReplyDeleteExcellent catch, Betty.
DeleteBut did she whisper the news?
ReplyDelete