Agreed 126.7.
The following statements:
Rumours are not news. Verifiable facts are news.
and
The ongoing problem with dealing with events, such as crashes, is determining just what the facts are. Very few reporters have the benefit of being able to visit crash sites, talk to police, firemen, investigators and eyewitnesses in the time allocated to gather material for a story. Try doing all of the above from a distance of 1000kms with no phone numbers and 15 minutes to file the story. And waiting until the ATSB reports is not an option.
have an inherent inconsistency.
The recent tragic accident near Benalla is a case in point (there are many like it). I read an initial news report that said the accident aircraft was a Navajo.
I guess that the journo must have relied on either a "rumour" or an UNverified fact before submitting the article for publication. In any event, an inaccurate report.
Sounds a lot like shoot now, ask questions later...