When News Channels fall for scams

[abigsmurf]

The media haven't had a good record recently, being fooled by fame hungry people in their quest for news content to fill 24 hour news channels.

Big example is the recent Balloon Boy. Parents said that they thought their child was trapped in a weather balloon causing a huge chase operation by police and the closure of a nearby airport. The chase was followed live by US news channels and because a huge news story (was also reported over here).

When the balloon hit the ground, turns out the kid was in the attic all along, he'd just hidden there because he was mad at being told off. Happy ending.

Only trouble is, the following day, the kid appeared on TV and when asked why he did it, said "we did it for the show". The kid in followup interviews puked up from the guilt/pressure. Eventually the father admitted it was all a hoax to try and get the family to appear on reality TV (they had already been on wifeswap).

The latest example of an emerging hoax seems to be that story about the 23year coma where a guy was apparently fully concious.

Horrific story (with a 'happy' ending). The problem with it is incredibly obvious by looking at the video.

Remarkably fast typing from someone who has been in a coma for 23 years and likely hasn't used a keyboard. The therapist says it's 'fascilitated communication' but this has been proven to be a bunch of crap many times in the past (think ouji board scams). There is no way someone with next to no muscle movement, who isn't familiar with keyboards and is likely utterly insane from being unable to move or communicate for that length of time, could 'type' that quickly and coherently.

I'd like to see him answer a question that was asked when no one else was in the room.

The media has fallen hook line and sinker for an incredibly distasteful scam.

[charlesr]

lol, I fell for that.

[merf]

there is a rather excellent book called Flat Earth News that addresses falling standards of newspaper reporting, its a brilliant read.

[Roddie]

I read the coma guy had had 3 years of training for using the keyboard, but was confused since I thought they only just discovered his brain was fully functional

EDIT: they discovered this in 2006, so I guess that gives him plenty of time for practice.

[Brad]

I'm totally confused about the coma dude.

[abigsmurf]

hmm, even considering that, there's no way the therapist could be feeling the movements that fast and with that kind of accuracy. Why couldn't these movements be picked up by electronic sensors and that used to type? They'd be capable of far more accuracy than that therapist could manage.

There are far less suspect methods available to him than relying on a therapist using a medical technique that ranks alongside phrenology.

[Dogg Thang]

I was once called up and asked if the news guys could send a crew to interview me about some film. I didn't mind but couldn't quite figure out why. Well, apparently they thought I worked on it and were doing some 'local guy done good' story. I hadn't.

Luckily we found that out before they sent the crew over. Could have been a bit of a Guy Goma moment.

But it left me wondering just how half-assed the research was or where they possibly got their information.

[EvilBoris]

I'm sure the mother would of noticed that the therapist was unable to answer any questions personal to him?

I've seen it first hand where a woman who was paralysed had a partner who could read her eye movement as she looked at a chart of letters and this allowed her to communicate, surely this just another version of that?

[abigsmurf]

That's the method used in the Diving bell and the butterfly. You read off the alphabet, when you get to the letter you want, you blink or flick your eye.

It's incredibly effective with locked in syndrome as it's very accurate but only requires very basic motor control. It's also possible to point a forehead mounted camera at your pupils to track your vision.

The problem with this story is it hinges around the words of three people: the therapist who is practicing this 'unusual' method of communication, the doctor who 'discovered' the condition and the mother (who will be easy to manipulate). The only 'independent' testing has been done by the doctor who has a lot to gain from this.

[ChrisF]

Wired would tend to agree with you:

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/11/houben-communication/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaig n=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top +Stories+2%29%29

[abigsmurf]

Yep, scientists have now proven it's a bunch of rubbish

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8526017.stm