Never Let a Fact Get in the Way

I must admit that for several years I have had ABC News in my bookmarks for daily news checking, but in the aftermath of the Aurora tragedy, I had to remove them because I simply don’t know what’s true and what’s false from them anymore.

First they claimed that the shooter was a member of the Tea Party when in fact he had no ties to the Tea Party whatsoever. Now it’s been revealed that when ABC claimed the shooter’s mother told them that “[they] have the right person,” meaning specifically James Eagan Holmes, she actually used the phrase after they asked her if she was the mother of James Holmes in Aurora, Colorado. She had no idea what had even happened when she used the phrase so she was not, in fact, saying it regarding the shooting.

It appears that ABC News is more concerned with juicing up stories with salaciousness as well as getting a quote — any quote — first, even if that means using an answer for one question as an answer to a question that was never even posed.

If I want falsehoods, I’ll just stick with The Onion. At least there’s a bit of humor to go along with the untruths.

Short on Credit

YouTube is now a human who can take snazzy photos and record videos.

I’m noticing more and more that media outlets are having a difficult time figuring out how to give credit to photographers and videographers when their work is used in a news story and is found elsewhere on the Internet.

Apparently it’s now the common thing to give credit to the hosting Website instead of credit to the photographer or videographer.

A few weeks ago I saw a story about a woman whose Facebook profile photo was used in the story and the reporter credited Facebook as having taken the photo. Really? Facebook is now a person who takes photos? Where is Mr. Facebook and how do I contact him for portraits?

Today the WPTV Web Team—I’m not sure if that’s like the A-Team or something—is crediting YouTube as having been the videographer of a man who went on a naked ninja rampage in Indianapolis. The video looks as though it had been recorded by a person on the street, but the credit goes to a Website as having been the one behind the actual recording. Perhaps Mr. YouTube and Mr. Facebook should get together and work on a project.

All sarcasm aside, Websites don’t take the photos and record the videos—people do. Please give credit to those who took the time to do the photography or videography—not the Website that just happens to host it.