Balloon boy

[0:51]" Well I guess it's it's it's not news and mean what state that this was. Not a story as we didn't need to build its pursuit began operation and it turned out. Fact that he wouldn't even eight. As silly story we were watching something that people thought might become a -- story. And by the time the whole thing played out it was not a story all the it was in their nobody got hurt essentially all America held their breath. And watched the balloon. Well from beer. And that was -- A big story however that having been said. That's how this stuff works these days. That means we get breaking news they'd they don't wait until story develops and then write and think about it didn't publish it like it was in the old. Newspaper days. If it looks interesting state turn on the cameras they go live and like you said for awhile this really was reminiscent the deal."

[1:52]" Jeff it is a place of a big part of a professor is the 24 hour appetite of the all news cable channels you will remember back. Always back in the in the nineteen. Eighties I guess it was. Win the the late 1980s that little girl in Texas fell into -- well and everybody watch that as they finally extracted the child. I remember seeing Dan rather sort of the remote disgraced sigh of relief that was a real drama that was real story and and that was real news."

[3:23]" It's easy to Monday Morning Quarterback. And lot of us have affect -- in our lives. Livings out of this sort of thing but religious issue but a couple of commentators have I saw yesterday. Rick Sanchez on CNN. Was talking about how he is a father was imagining his own child being. Up in the -- before they realize that the there was nobody in the -- is part. In the drama for that sort of that's sort of hyperbole."

[3:52]" Well I mean I expose this news does not all have to be -- important. -- You know gravity you know that kind of -- result -- a place for stories about kittens getting rescue under any of that kind of thing. On and I -- went when you're covering this story like that. You've got to go for the things that are relevant but I think when Rick Sanchez. Says you know -- emission. How I would feel by were apparent doing that. I think that's really what this story was about this story -- a couple of really important -- one it was sort of fairy tale like it. Flying away unit ballooned and it also. With the idea that the it was going six and in danger but one of the things that made this story so compelling was that it -- like the a parent's worst nightmare their. It's one big to let go of your balloon it's another thing to let go the balloon and -- it is. You know and in many ways they get that that comment would. You know might have been. Hyperbole but it was really the only reason we're covering the Laurie in the first place like -- that you got upon the."

[4:59]" Over on the Fox News Channel -- shepherd Smith was the anchor. And at one point when the balloon came down. He explained to the audience that -- producers had taken the -- shot off the screen and the reason they'd done so was. He didn't say -- but obviously Morrissey little boy's body of the child had been. -- then he started conjecture in that they -- must be hiding at home under the bed and while that may have seemed. A little bit flippant to the viewers it turned out that it was essentially knew exactly what happened."

[5:30]" The except for the fact that he was in the -- the bad he pretty much. Pretty which edit I mean that at that point what we find that so we realize that. With breaking news if this is that would have happened in the old days we only had news that you know was he even. On this would have never been -- story because what happens we find out -- in the attic is this whole balloon flight. Is completely. Not interest it's completely not a story what -- Fascinating about this about this particular they -- with OJ we didn't know what it was about to become what we were watching that white bronco chase. It was just the -- be be in any stories that would include a long trial in the civil trial -- all of the rest of the this thing was -- using breaking news coverage and having everybody brought -- watch something. The turned out to be totally not what anybody thought it was an example of how. Breaking 24 hour news and getting tired country watching something the turns out to be at school we also."

[7:15]" So I think. Forget about -- that's through it there if but it would statement like that that was owed something a little fishy about the story we may never have heard the last of exactly what was going down here but -- this story was breaking you know the idea that he kept. You gotta keep that question about. -- of this kid get this balloon filled with helium and you know there was there was rumors that he was actually in the balloon that he had been propped up by the balloon I mean that was all these. We hear kind of elements if this thing. Even to this. Even now that we battled the details of the things still kind of reads like. -- Six stories -- to printed newspapers that people will say this has got a little bit of that too."

[8:00]" Professor Robert Thompson of the Newhouse school of communications -- accuse university. An expert on popular culture. And in this instance on some sometimes how we can all sort of be twisted around the search for what is not really news anyway professor thanks very much thank you."