Slow News Watch: Drudge Tweets About Fog

How do you know when it’s August? When Matt Drudge finds it necessary to send out a link to a Boston.com article about a “mysterious fog” that envelops the city of Boston. Oh sure there is intrigue the evokes memories of the New York City’s mysterious maple syrup smell of 2008. So…what was the deal with that mysterious fog? The answer will surprise you… The Drudge Report’s iconic siren attached to its Twitter feed is a constant reminder of his uncanny ability to make news (or make news seem more urgent and bigger!) So when he tweeted a story about mysterious fog, who couldn’t resist clicking through? What was the fog? What sort of mystery awaited the curious Internet browser? Well it turns out to be a story about…fog.

The major landmarks and tall buildings of Boston were nearly hidden. And if you felt like you were driving through a cloud, you were, literally.

Fog in the afternoon may seem odd, but there’s a scientific explanation. The morning fog we’re used to is called “radiation fog.’’ At night the temperature drops and the earth is giving off energy. As the temperature reaches the dew point, fog forms. Yesterday’s fog was different. It is called “advection fog,’’ and it forms over an already cool surface like water and is gradually carried inland by the wind.

Perhaps an even better example of a slow news day? Mediaite covering a story about a non-story. Oops.

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