Boston: When the media gets it wrong

(4 pm. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

As journalists scrambled to cover the bombings, some reports hit embarrassing and even dangerous new lows.

The twin bombs that turned the finish line of the Boston Marathon into a scene of devastation and carnagealso sent shockwaves through the US media.

In the rush to fill the airwaves and column inches, claims about the identities and motivations of the bombers told us more about the mainstream media and its audience than the events on the ground in Boston.

As journalists scrambled to relay the least significant developments, coverage by outlets such as CNN, Fox News and the New York Post hit embarrassing and sometimes dangerous new lows.

In what way did the mainstream media, hungry for sales and ratings, struggle to appear on top of a story that was yet to take shape?