"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 16 Jul 2013 23:58:37 -0700, sf wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 16 Jul 2013 23:26:09 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>>
>>> Just how dumb can the news media be when the San Francisco TV station
>>> listed the names of the pilots of the crashed aircraft.
>>
>> While I've never heard this particular "joke", it just goes to show
>> how little critical thinking is done in the race to be first to file a
>> breaking news report.
>
> In this case somebody DID do some critical thinking before reporting
> it. They even verified the names with the NTSB, who cluelessly or
> maliciously verified them.
>
> What probably happened is that somebody at the news station either
> concocted the names or received it in email and forwarded it to a few
> people at the station - as a joke, not intended for airing at all.
> But some clueless reporter/researcher got hold of it and ran with it,
> not understanding it was a joke.
>
> -sw

I think I saw an e-mail joke with these names before the TV incident, so
your guess is probably correct.