Yes,There REALLY IS A Santa Claus (possible fake news story)

[Bicycle Bill]

Maybe this is bogus.  Maybe the part-time Santa made it all up — although for whatever reason, I can't possibly imagine.  And maybe it did go down just as he said it did, and he truly is "keeping the boy's information private out of respect for the family".  But am I the only one who feels that the media, regardless of whether or not the story is factual, is little better than a flock of vultures swooping in to feed on the corpse?

Ask yourself .... your son just died — whether or not it was in Santa's arms is beside the point.  You are mourning the loss of your child, preparing yourself for a funeral during what should be a season of joy and happiness.  Suddenly, you find yourself hounded by a pack of jackals disguised as reporters 'fact-checking' the circumstances of your son's death and demanding that you respond to their questions and confirm that each and every facet of the story is true.

Me, I'd tell 'em to shove it up their ass.  How would **YOU** respond?

-"BB"-

[Lord Jim]

"The original story ran as a column by Sam Venable in the Knoxville News-Sentinel" Unless Sam regularly writes fiction in his column, it probably is gonna get him fired. Why oh Why do 'journalists' keep getting national attention for stealing stuff and putting their name on it or just making it up?

If this is in fact a hoax, Venable may be guilty of failing to do basic Journalism 101 due-diligence, (ie, "confirm your source's story") but not of actually having made this story up on his own (ala former WaPo reporter Janet Cooke's Pulitzer Prize winning fairy tale about an eight year-old heroin addict)...

If it's a hoax, it looks to me like the originating hoaxter was probably the faux Santa Eric Schmitt-Matzen, and that Venable enabled the hoax by running with it without doing any basic checking...(probably because it seemed like such "perfect" holiday story, and he really wanted to get it into print with his bi-line...)

If that's the case, he should still be shit canned...

As should his editor, who should have insisted that Venable get confirmation before signing off on running the story...

They could have still withheld the family's name and the name of the hospital from the article out of respect for the family's privacy, but they should never have allowed Schmitt-Matzen to make that call...

[Sue U]

I agree with Jim 100%. This story reeks of glurge. It's an annoyance on FaceSpace, but a kick in the nads for an actual "news" organization. Journamalism, how does it work?

[RayThom]

Is this another "fake news" item?

No, it is not and why would anyone with a sliver of decency ask such a question?

I never take impulse criticism to heart. In fact, when it come to fake new you'd be surprised how many people I know get mad at me when I sniff out their God's honest truth "real" news and show them it's "fake" news. I have a very high gullibility threshold and it serves me well.

It's the price I pay for being a sarcastic cynic but I'm rarely surprised nor blindsided by stuff found on the interweb, or told to me by friends. In fact, I'm usually the most centered and balanced person in the room. I make no apologies to anyone who may be overly sensitive to my perceptions and/or opinions.

I'm OK, you're OK. Peace.

[Econoline]

• • "No matter how cynical you become, it's never enough to keep up."
    
    ~~ Lily Tomlin ~~

(I'm sure you already have a framed, crocheted sampler of this quote hanging on your wall above the fireplace TV...right, Ray?)

[Lord Jim]

Since publication, the News Sentinel has done additional investigation in an attempt to independently verify Schmitt-Matzen's account. This has proven unsuccessful. Although facts about his background have checked out, his story of bringing a gift to a dying child remains unverified. The News Sentinel cannot establish that Schmitt-Matzen's account is inaccurate, but more importantly, ongoing reporting cannot establish that it is accurate.

Therefore, because the story does not meet the newspaper's standards of verification, we are no longer standing by the veracity of Schmitt-Matzen's account.

Determining whether the story met "the newspaper's standards of verification" is what they had an obligation to their readers to do before they published the story.

This was 100% avoidable if they had just applied the most basic journalistic standards. The reporter who wrote the story and the editor who approved its publication allowed their eagerness to get credit for breaking a really lovely sounding Christmas season story to cause them to ignore these standards. This should be completely unacceptable for any reputable news organization, and as I said earlier they should both get the chop.

And Schmitt-Matzen is a disgrace to the uniform...

[Guinevere]

Why do I keep agreeing with LJ?

I think age, and a daughter, has given him enlightenment.....

[Sue U]

• • "No matter how cynical you become, it's never enough to keep up."
    
    ~~ Lily Tomlin ~~

It's not cynicism that's required; it's skepticism. Being a skeptic doesn't make one a cynic.

Why do I keep agreeing with LJ?

Blind pig/acorn, broken clock, etc.

(Don't worry, it's not fatal.)

[Guinevere]

You agree with him too. I really think it's enlightenment, and the pernicious influence of a smart, outspoken dawaiter three.

[RayThom]

... I think age, and a daughter, has given him enlightenment.....

Guin, just needing to raise my most wonderful and intelligent daughter in all the best ways possible made me a life observer to reckon with. We constantly have some of our best moments -- and best laughs -- discussing fake news items. I should work for Snopes.com.

The past 27 years has been the best teachable moment for both of us, ever.

And life is good.

[ex-khobar Andy]

Per Ray:

I have a very high gullibility threshold

Ray - I know what a high regard you have for the English language. There is no such word as 'gullibility' - look it up.

[wesw]

gullability- the story of Jonathon livingstone seagull

[Bicycle Bill]

Now there's a name I haven't come across in a long time....

-"BB"-

[Burning Petard]

I love the book he wrote about what happened to all the money he made from that book. The story is probably part of general aviation hanger lore by now. I read it, but don't remember the title. I did not read Jonathan. . .

snailgate.

[RayThom]

Per Ray:

I have a very high gullibility threshold

Ray - I know what a high regard you have for the English language. There is no such word as 'gullibility' - look it up.

Cute.