US media slammed over balloon boy coverage

The priorities of the American cable networks have been questioned after they cleared the schedules and dropped President Obama in order to bring viewers live footage of what transpired to be an empty helium balloon drifting over Colorado, while a missing boy thought to be on board hid in a box above the family garage.

This morning it was reported that the entire episode was a hoax, after the boy told CNN he kept quiet while people were searching for him because his parents said "that we did this for a show". The boy's father denied it was a media stunt.
 
The bizarre tale of "balloon boy" Falcon Heene (above left with his brother Ryo) had viewers in the US and other countries transfixed as it unfolded over more than three hours yesterday - but despite this morning's hoax angle, it ultimately proved to be a non-story. Now critics are asking why the media was so eager to buy into the drama.
 
Acid-tongued publisher Ariana Huffington led the backlash. "I've had so many breaking news alerts on my BlackBerry, you would think something major had happened," she told MSNBC host Ed Shultz live on air shortly after the boy had been found alive and well at the family home.
 
Schultz appeared shocked at the dissent and defended the actions of the cable stations during an increasingly fractious exchange. His angry assertion that "no-one wants to see a six-year-old boy fall from 8,500 feet" conveniently overlooked the squadron of media helicopters that had been circling the balloon during its flight ready to document just such a moment.
 
He added: "I think we undoubtedly did the right thing [in clearing the schedules]. It's a story of tremendous intrigue and it's probably a good lesson to parents across the country."
 
Huffington was having none of it: "This is merely a story that feeds into the worst voyeuristic instincts of our culture," she responded.
 
It was not just MSNBC who dropped everything for the story. Several American cable channels and others worldwide did the same.
 
Republican congressman for Texas Phil Roe revealed on Twitter that he had been dropped by Fox TV because of the balloon boy. He tweeted: "Had not forseen Fox interview cancelled due to 6 yr old boy stuck in homemade hot-air balloon."
 
Other networks interrupted coverage of a town-hall meeting by President Barack Obama to talk about healthcare reforms to show the balloon's flight, in scenes reminiscent of the OJ Simpson chase or the death of Michael Jackson.
 
Fox News anchor Shepard Smith was even moved to remark on air: "If there's ever a book about what I did for the first 20 years of my working life, October 15 will have at least a page."
 
But it was left to CNN's Jack Cafferty to bring a sense of perspective to events. While other networks clung to the breaking news that the boy was alive and well, he announced that his channel was returning to normality. "There's other news. Remember the health insurance debate?" ·