The Balloon Boy hoax is undeniably news now: Falcon Heene’s parents -- who reportedly planned the stunt two weeks in advance -- are facing criminal charges. But the question remains: Why did the TV news channels cover a runaway silver balloon for endless hours last Thursday with so few facts to report? (Watch part of Fox News' early reporting)
Reality TV has rotted media standards: The networks’ decision to wring melodrama out of the Heene family’s fears and unsubstantiated claims, says Frazier Moore of The Associated Press, is "endemic of the more and more seductive urge to dismiss truth, responsibility and other traditional values in favor of hustling for fame."
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