Thursday, October 22, 2015

Journalistic Ignominy

I love urban legends, mysteries and puzzles. When I get email spam or a facebook full of some 'warning' that something bad is going to happen, I'm usually quick to debunk to the best of my ability. Sure, occasionally I miss-bunk something, but I stand by my record. A couple of my aunts no longer email me when they get those "super deadly computer virus" spam mails.

Halloween is one of the holidays that have the lion's share of urban legends, but sadly most of them are recycled year after year, so there are no enjoyable quests for truth for me. I figured that everyone knew the familiar hoaxes by now, but apparently not.

Being from Mississippi originally, I sometimes am a little embarrassed when someone from my home state does something stupid. Today's blog was inspired by not just one person but an entire news organization and worse, one that rumor has it, instigated a viral campaign of ignorance.
This apparently is a newer hoax that claims that drug dealers are going to be handing out Ecstasy to kids this Halloween. I have issues with this. I'm fairly confident that drugs actually cost money to produce. I can understand the idea that you might want to hand out free 'samples' to get new users hooked, but this isn't crack or heroin. Ecstasy is habit forming but it takes repeated use, and is a psychological addiction, not a physical one.

Just in the process of writing this article I've gathered enough evidence, some linked above, to convince myself that this is a huge load of crap. I can't imagine someone answering their door flinging handfuls of expensive designer drugs at little random kids. I feel like I need a shovel and a hot shower. It irked me enough that I needed to write/vent because if a news agency can print such drivel, why can't I have a job? I write nonsense without even trying, it's my favorite subject.

I also came across this gem. This is the source that Jackson's WTVM used for their article and while MS News Now corrected their story, it hasn't trickled down to Mr. Conaway's post yet. Mistakes happen, but integrity is about owning mistakes and being ethical. I'm confident that news outlets will continue to lack this attribute, since drama and BS sells more that truth right now. At least this will give me something else to rant about, but that's another post.

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