Breaking news?

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Breaking news?

Postby Howaboutthat » Sun Jul 25, 2010 8:30 am

We do a lot of picking on the electronic media around here, but what about this 'Breaking News' on the Vancouver Sun's website this (Sunday) morning. Talk about a non-story!

http://www.vancouversun.com/bounces+Sky ... story.html


Man bounces off SkyTrain at Nanaimo Station
Breaking News


Minutes after the Celebration of Light fireworks display ended, an emergency scanner service alerted that a person had been struck and was trapped under a SkyTrain at Nanaimo Station.

The scanner call at 10:39 p.m. was for heavy rescue units to come in.

An hour later Translink's spokesperson, Ken Hardie said that the incident was much less severe than what the scanner report communicated.

"A man was a little intoxicated and bounced off the side of a car," Hardie said.

"The ambulance that attended left without him, and there were no service delays."

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Houston, We're dealing with morons!.
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Re: Breaking news?

Postby jawbone » Sun Jul 25, 2010 9:29 am

Can someone please enlighten a non-media person as to what an 'emergency scanner service' is?

Is there something one can subscribe to, or is this simply media-speak for, we have a scanner?
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Re: Breaking news?

Postby Buckley » Sun Jul 25, 2010 1:54 pm

Howaboutthat wrote:We do a lot of picking on the electronic media around here, but what about this 'Breaking News' on the Vancouver Sun's website this (Sunday) morning. Talk about a non-story!

http://www.vancouversun.com/bounces+Sky ... story.html


Man bounces off SkyTrain at Nanaimo Station
Breaking News


Minutes after the Celebration of Light fireworks display ended, an emergency scanner service alerted that a person had been struck and was trapped under a SkyTrain at Nanaimo Station.

The scanner call at 10:39 p.m. was for heavy rescue units to come in.

An hour later Translink's spokesperson, Ken Hardie said that the incident was much less severe than what the scanner report communicated.

"A man was a little intoxicated and bounced off the side of a car," Hardie said.

"The ambulance that attended left without him, and there were no service delays."

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun


Well, the reporter that was duped by the "emergency scanner service" had to account for their time following the story (at least an hour apparently that it took them to contact the spokesperson to get a statement), so they had to write something. Otherwise their boss will just say they wasted an hour for nothing instead of saying they wasted an hour and wrote a story that can go in the "moron of the week" section later.

"Breaking news, a man tripped getting off the bus early this afternoon, delaying services by a full 6 seconds while the bus driver asked if they were ok. According to friends and family, Jason Raleigh, 31, was complaining of a minor sprain but was able to walk. Onlookers believe the incident was caused by 'the guy being a spaz who can't walk down 3 whole steps'. Updates to follow as this story unfolds."
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