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1. 

   nomad2112 said, about 1 month ago

   To deceive or not to deceive …

2. 

   believecommonsense said, about 1 month ago

   and what, if any, role did media play in this shameful hoax? What say you?

3. 

   Ken Warren said, about 1 month ago

   Always remember that news has become a business and the business of the news media is not to bring us the news but to bring us to their advertisers.

4. 

   HOWGOZIT said, about 1 month ago

   The Henne guy called them (media) before he did police.

5. 

   twieliczka said, about 1 month ago

   Wouldn’t doubt if the father gave the kid something to make him throw up on television - all morning long on every network!

6. 

   believecommonsense said, about 1 month ago

   OK .. I’ll bite. When it was believed a child was in a runaway balloon, it was news. And because there was such a dramatic visual, it went on non-stop. It was news when the child was discovered safe. From there on, the news media went into overkill. Staying on top of the investigation was solid journalism, but replaying the same things 24/7 on broadcast TV wasn’t news any longer. The sheriff’s announcement that they believe it was a hoax is news, as is doing some background checks into the family’s history. But going over it again and again 24/7 and having panel discussions of “experts” talking about it and speculating about the parents’ motives 24/7 is back to overkill again. When charges are announced, then it’s news again. I wish news would stop trying to emulate entertainment type programs.

   As long as reality TV makes people money, people will continue trying to create “reality TV”. Turn on PBS sometime, people, watch Discovery Channel and National Geographic and Animal Planet … something besides ‘reality TV” and Paris Hilton.

7. 

   dtroutma said, about 1 month ago

   From the first view of launch the whole balloon thing was an obvious hoax. That “reality TV” really came to its much cheaper than producing dramas level of absurdity coincided perfectly with the Bush administration wasn’t an accident. Cheap distractions for increased profit kept people from paying attention to REAL world actions and impacts. The media made “entertainment” into “news”, and the country swallowed the poison pill.

   Critical thinking has become anathema to our media, and those on the far right, and yes, the far left too.

   There are options out there, as BCS notes, but our culture now treats a little education as a dangerous thing. Far better to let some, yes-right wing, moron with a mike form our opinions and make our decisions.

   The balloon contained only a little helium for affect as it captured the attention of air heads.

8. 

   believecommonsense said, about 1 month ago

   dtroutma, I’ve started renting a lot of documentaries from Netflix … I remember when our major networks actually used to braodcast documentaries. Now PBS does occasionally, Sundance channel does occasionally.

   It’s a much more “fun” for me to watch a good documentary than most anything else on the air.

   And some of what you wrote reminds one of the Roman Empire before it fell. Give the people blood and gore for sport entertainment while the nation disintegrates.

9. 

   crunkbot said, about 1 month ago

   oh, INANEdy… you are so sexy when you’re nonsensical and reactionary.

   (you are sexy ALL the time)

10. 

    oldlegodad said, about 1 month ago

    The man’s comment is the soul of this toon. RATINGS d@mn the truth.

11. 

    Copperdomebodhi said, about 1 month ago

    BCS: The media’s role was to be so easily manipulated and journalistically sloppy that the guy felt free to hoax them.

    Take the exciting visuals out, and all you’ve got is a missing kid story. Instead of breathless updates (“the kid is still missing”) all day, they could have investigated the father’s background. Asked an engineer whether it’s even possible for a balloon that size to lift a kid. Or maybe even covered some real news.

12. 

    cdward said, about 1 month ago

    You know what, instead of these stupid cartoons about the balloon heads, I’d like to see someone do one about the guy caught spying on the US for Israel. Geez, with friends like that….

13. 

    oldlegodad said, about 1 month ago

    cdward, He wasn’t the first.

14. 

    lalaland804 said, 19 days ago

    lol that hoax was pathetic