George Rebane
The tragic terrorist bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon have been more than adequately acknowledged; I can add little of substance to the reports and sentiments.
However, I do want to express some considerable irritation at how the entire affair was covered by the media, especially Fox News, in the immediate aftermath of the incident. For two hours following, the coverage was one of repetition, tedium, paternalizing, and generally pabulum for an audience considered to be a notch above the kiddies who used to watch Mr Rogers’ Neighborhood.
And this type of coverage has become the de rigueur of such ‘real time’ broadcast reportage over the years. Everyone available who could be hauled in front of a mike was given more than adequate time to repeat the same banalities and tautologies – hailing the first responders as “heroes”, opining how ‘terrible’, ‘cowardly’ and ‘senseless’ the act was, that the investigators will leave no rock unturned, assuring everyone that the perps will be brought to justice under the full extent of the law, …, and last but definitely the very least, not wanting to speculate on what happened “until we know all the facts”. Bullshit.
Even the President, three hours after the concurrent explosions that dispersed ball bearings and other sharp metal objects through their victims, was not willing to step out there and conclude that this was an act of terror on the American homeland perpetrated by one or more sophisticated terrorists. What the hell did he think happened? that someone’s lunch blew up? Then after high school sophomores in Des Moines knew it was an act of terror and not wanting a repeat of their Benghazi response, it became so embarrassing for the White House that they stepped out and called it an act of terror.
So, instead of wasting viewers’ time with inanities after such an event, here’s what the media outlets should do. When they talk to one of their VIP guests or on-the-scene witnesses, ask them to speculate, to conjure up what they think might have happened, or who did it, or what caused it, or whatever. Establish a ‘Speculation Segment’ for this kind of expression, put up a frame around the video that identifies it as such and tells everyone that this person is just responding to the media’s request to speculate. Part of the ground rules of responding during such a ‘Speculation Segment’ is that whatever you say there, it will not be held against you as subsequent evidence becomes available.
Hell, the rest of us in the country are speculating our fannies off as we watch the same video segments played over and over again, and guest after guest blabbers the same inconsequentials. We’re speculating, so let them also speculate while new facts develop, and make the program interesting as a senator, or former mayor, or DHS official, or the neighborhood mail carrier gives their take on what they know to that moment in time. We in the audience are smart enough to know that they’re doing nothing more than what we are doing, but it would be interesting to hear someone else put together what appears to be a plausible explanation for what may have happened. Tell us your hunches, please! And you'll get a ‘King’s X’ because you did it during the ‘Speculation Segment’.
(BTW, the bombings were definitely not ‘cowardly’ or ‘senseless’. They were purposeful, carefully thought out, and took considerable courage to successfully penetrate the nationwide security system against terror that we have had in place since 9/11. If you think otherwise then, inspired by your deeply held credo, go try to pull off the same thing at a public event in Teheran or Pyongyang.)
rebanesruminations.com 
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