The story of "Balloon Boy" Falcon Heene has become the newest national joke, the "I'ma let you finish" du jour. While there are humorous elements to the story, the media seems to be ignoring the darkest chapter in this story, and their (our) complicity in it. Recently, The Rachel Maddow Show and Countdown have each run lighthearted, humorous segments specifically about Falcon Heene's bout with nausea on NBC's Today Show. While they're surely not the only ones to make light of this, they are the straws that broke the camel's back. Here are the clips from Countdown and The Rachel Maddow Show:

We contacted MSNBC about both segments, and they declined to comment. Those morning show appearances have been weighing on me. While I'm disappointed in Olbermann and Maddow, two people who do 99% excellent work, they are not alone here. We all sat by and watched that 6 year-old become violently ill on The Today Show and Good Morning America. We know for a fact, now, that the child's father was making him lie, and it's likely what made Falcon sick that morning. The problem is, we all pretty much knew it at the time, too. Falcon Heene did a courageous thing by telling the truth on national television, and his reward was to be ignored. Wolf Blitzer fumbled the follow-up, and the authorities dithered, still believing Richard Heene's lies. While our own Dan Abrams theorizes that the Sheriff's ignorance may have been strategic, that would have been a strategy that didn't benefit the child. Falcon Heene went to sleep that night knowing that he wasn't believed.
Falcon's confession could not have been clearer, yet for some reason, the media continued to treat the idea of a hoax as an open question, a 50/50 shot. The following morning, Richard Heene went on TV and fed his son a lie for him to agree to, after who knows what kind of coercion. Why did these interviewers not press Heene on the details of a story that clearly did not add up? Why didn't they call him out? Most importantly, why did they continue these interviews while the child was in obvious physical distress? The fact that his parents didn't have the decency to do this is little excuse when you consider their part in Falcon's situation. Next: Further media wrongdoing on GMA and Today

Late yesterday, Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden told reporters that he expects to file criminal charges in the case of 6 year-old "Balloon Boy" Falcon Heene's non-ride on a runaway helium balloon. He also said that his office was trying to obtain search warrants, and expressed disappointment that they could only file class 3 misdemeanor charges. (more...)

We've been watching the Balloon Boy saga unfold in its fourth day of media coverage. The latest news: The balloon was indeed a hoax, and now Richard Heene, if not his wife Mayumi, will face a battery of charges. Below: Larimer County Colorado Sheriff Jim Alderden's comments from this afternoon's press conference, and his comments last night. Plus, information about Gawker's exclusive, and all the news from Day 4. Updates here as more news breaks. (Update 1pmET): • Press Conference this afternoon (video below): Larimer County Colorado Sheriff Jim Alderden: "It has been determined that this was a hoax, that it was a publicity stunt ... done with the hopes of better marketing themselves for a reality show in the future." (more...)

VIDEO Richard Heene, the father of the infamous Balloon Boy, called reporters to his house this morning for a press conference of sorts. The man who has had the media, and frankly everyone on the Internet atwitter, made it seem like a big announcement was in the works. (more...)

One of the most brutal take-downs of Sarah Palin during last year's campaign came at the hands of CNN's Jack Cafferty, who simply played a clip of one of her Couric interviews and angrily referred to it as "one of the most pathetic pieces of tape" he'd ever seen. Sitting next to him was Wolf Blitzer, he of Gulf War fame, now transmogrified into tepid network nameplate. Blitzer, playing the network's favorite game ("Let's Appear Neutral!") suggested that she had been "cramming a lot of information" - but he wasn't able to finish before Cafferty jumped down his throat, insisting Blitzer "not make excuses" for Palin. It was an ugly moment, and likely an embarrassing one for Blitzer. But last night might have been worse. Wolf Blitzer was handed, on a mylar platter, the scoop of the day - Balloon Boy, Falcon Heene, responding to the question of why he hid in the attic so long with a tenuous, "You guys said that we did this for the show." His father reacted like the jig was up ("Man…"); his mother, holding out hope, pushed back. That happened shortly before 9:18 p.m. Eastern, which is when I sent a tweet saying, "Um, I think the Balloon Boy just said he didn't come out of hiding because, 'we did it for a show.' Wolf, want to check on that?" Wolf didn't want to check on that. Another half hour of interview proceeded, with no mention of Falcon's statement. The parents and their squirming sons breezed through softballs about how they felt, the nature of the balloon, etc. All of those who felt something was odd about the whole situation, myself included, watched a key point fade away. This was the story of the day! And it featured a family who had already been on a reality show. A father eager enough to be on CNN that he filed repeated "iReports", looking at various weather phenomenon, which became a staple of the filler period between the landing of the aircraft and the location of the child. But no follow up from Wolf. Until the last question of the segment. Coming back from commercial, Blitzer baited his hook:

BLITZER: Richard Heene, the father of little Falcon -- Richard, earlier in the show I asked you to relay the question to Falcon. He was hiding in the garage for four hours. I asked you to ask him why didn't he come out after he heard you and his mom and everybody else screaming for Falcon. And you said to him, "Falcon, why didn't you come out?" And Falcon said, hmmm, you guys said that we did this for the show. And you said, hmmmm. What did he mean, we did this for the show? R. HEENE: I have no idea. I think he was talking about the media. They've been asking a lot of questions. So somebody asked him that question earlier. BLITZER: Do you want to ask him now. I don't know if he can hear me? What did he mean by what he said we did this for the show? Do you want to ask Falcon? R. HEENE: Falcon, they want to know -- they want to know why you were in the attic for so long and why you -- say it again? BLITZER: Why he said -- he said we did this for the show in explaining why he didn't come out of the attic. R. HEENE: Yes. Let me interrupt this real quick. I think I can see the direction you guys are hedging on this. Because earlier you had asked the police officers the question. The media out front, we weren't even going to do this view. And I'm kind of appalled, after all of the feelings that I went through, up and down, that you guys are trying to suggest something else. OK? I'm really appalled, because they said out in front that this would be the end, and I wouldn't have to be bothered for the rest of the week with any shows or anything. So we said OK, fine, we'll do this. So I'm kind of appalled that you guy would say something like that. You know?

Notice that Falcon, who had no earpiece, wasn't asked Blitzer's question. Notice that the father tried to change what he was supposed to ask. Notice how inordinately defensive his response was. This is the get. This is the moment journalists dream about. Blitzer should have been salivating.

BLITZER: No, no. We're not asking anything unusual. You were asked earlier about if this was a publicity stunt. You say it wasn't. The police say it wasn't. The rescue operation say it wasn't. The only thing I wanted to clarify why Falcon had said earlier we did this for the show. I just wanted to clarify. I didn't understand what he was referring to.

The fish wriggles free. If it hadn't been for Anderson Cooper picking up the ball during 360, CNN would have completely abandoned their own scoop. Wolf, I'd check dark alleys as you're headed to your car today. I have a feeling Jack Cafferty is lurking in the shadows with a cudgel.

Cable news took America on a wild ride today reporting of an amazing story of Falcon Henne and his wild balloon ride. Judging by Twitter the early cavalier snark turned to genuine concern when the boy was not found and images of items falling from the aircraft surfaced. Turns out he was in the attic. Cable News bookers get ready! (more...)

Cable channels covered the soft landing of the balloon contraption that had earlier been reported to be carrying six year-old Falcon Henne. The balloon was empty at landing, but there is growing concern that the child may have fallen out mid-flight. Not only did cable news programmers make a risky decision in covering this story live, they may have inadvertently aired his death. (more...)

The bottom part of the balloon contraption is reportedly "not very well attached to the balloon" according to a local law enforcement official. Given the real chance that there might be a six year-old on board who could fall over 5,000 feet to the ground or even crash into a mountain, shouldn't cable news cut away from wall-to-wall live coverage? Is a seven-second delay enough to avoid airing a potential tragedy? As the father of a six year-old boy, I think not. (more...)