Reuters: Ex-senator's death not confirmed: family friend

[steve2470]

WASHINGTON | Tue Aug 10, 2010 1:14pm EDT

(Reuters) - A family friend of former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens said he has not received confirmation that the lawmaker had died in a plane crash overnight, despite previous television reports that quoted the friend as saying that he had perished.

The friend, Dave Dittman, told local Alaska news outlets that he had been told Stevens had died in the crash, but in a new statement said "that has not been confirmed."

End of story, link here: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6792MJ20100810

[qb]

1. Media stumbling all over each other to make fools of themselves.

There was a day when confirmation preceded publication of a story.

[louis-t]

2. Had a feeling they would retract.

"A friend of the family" just didn't sound convincing.

[Pathwalker]

3. It's going to take awhile for the full story to come out,

since it happened in a remote area in very bad weather. That won't stop the press from slapping egg all over themselves, though.

[Ian David]

4. It's hard to tell with Ted, even on his good days. n/t