I dearly hope that someone will take this idea for a “Follow Up” website and run with it all the way to Internet stardom. Wouldn’t you visit a site that kept track of stories that fall off the media-frenzy radar before the final chapter is written? (to mix metaphors)
I sure would. Consider these “what ever happened with…” examples:
--What ever happened with the investigation into the shelling of the UN observer outpost on the Israel-Lebanon border? At first Kofi Annan accused the IDF of deliberately targeting the outpost. The Israelis claimed it was an innocent mistake, notwithstanding repeated urgent calls to them from the UN force to stop the bombing. I haven’t seen any follow up stories on this incident.
--What ever happened with the inquiry into the attack on the car that was carrying the Italian journalist who had just been freed from her Iraqi captors? American troops fired on the car, even though the Italians claimed that advance notice had been given to those manning the checkpoint. An investigation was supposed to get to the bottom of why a bodyguard (as I recall) was killed. I’ve never seen any mention of it.
--What ever happened with the killing of many Iraqis in a remote province who locals said were innocent people celebrating a wedding, and the U.S. said were insurgents planning dastardly deeds? I don’t remember the details of this attack, but it caught my attention at the time. The Army promised to find out what really happened. I assumed Iraq war reporters then would tell us. Guess I assumed wrong.
There needs to be a better balance between the sensational beginning of a dramatic story, and the low-key fizzling out of subsequent details that often are more important than the tantalizing first impressions.
Recently Fox News splashed “Terror suspects caught with 1,000 cell phones” all over their red, white, and blue telecast. When it turned out that the Muslim guys were just trying to make a few bucks by re-selling the phones and had no connection with any terrorist organizations, I didn’t see nearly as big a follow up splash.
So some enterprising web-savvy news junkie needs to get moving with my great idea. If he or she wants to call it the Hines Follow Up Report, I won’t object. And if 10% of the advertising revenues flow my way, I really won’t object.
Unfortunately, FollowUp.com already is taken. Good name, but not at all what I’m looking for.
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