Normally, I comment on the design of sites, and leave the content to someone else. I’ll break that tradition here because style isn’t the failure of this site. The failure looks to me to be caused by the effort to push the news to their website as fast as possible, leading to poor quality content, and poor functionality.

“The Blotter: Planned ‘Columbine-Style’ Attack Averted: Student Arrested”

I’m curious where the image they’re using for this story came from. While they use the word arsenal repeatedly, here’s how they describe it.

A search of the youth’s home had turned up a small arsenal, including a 9mm semi-automatic handgun with a laser sight, 30 air-powered weapons, a live-hand grenade, bomb-making instructions and two inert hand grenades

That doesn’t exactly match the photo they’re using now does it? Those could be the airguns mentioned, but that still seems pretty misleading to me. That picture was part of a screenshot of the ABC home page when I went to it, but I see that they’ve repeated it elsewhere.

Next to the above photo, was this list of current headlines.

Notice the three icons next to ‘Columbine-Style’ Attack Averted? The “story” icon on the left, actually links to this story. The “full story” button in the middle, links to the Virginia Tech Massacre page. Are these stories related in any way? Not as far as I can tell. The video link on the right, is currently linking to a 20 second news clip of the search for a shooting suspect in Delaware. How exactly are those icons helpful again?

Reuters has the story a little differently.

Acting on a tip from neighbors, police arrested the boy at his home in Plymouth Township north of Philadelphia where they found one Hi-Tech 9 mm rifle with a laser sight, 30 to 50 pellet guns and four hand grenades, one of which was live and three of which were still being made, police said.

No ammunition was found for the rifle, a prosecutor said.

I also couldn’t help but notice how ABC mentions the firearms purchase.

The youth’s mother reportedly purchased at least some of those weapons, authorities noted. The purchases were legal, but authorities are contemplating charging her in connection with the youth’s plans.

In contrast to how Reuters described it.

The mother bought him the rifle at a gun show…

How is purchasing a firearm for someone who can’t legally own one legal? Can you say straw purchase?

Misleading images, incorrect linking, and a vague and apparently incorrect story. This is a reputable news site? It looks to me like they’re pushing themselves beyond their abilities. they either need to restructure the site, or their expectations. They need to slow down a little, take a moment to get it right, then put it up for everyone to see.

They don’t seem to be grasping the significance of their mission. You are a news source for millions of people. Get it right, or don’t do it. Up to the minute news is great… but only when it’s right.

Update: ABC isn’t alone. Fox News last night was showing video of the same table, and they were just as vague about what was being shown. They called it an arsenal, and a collection, as well as “thirty weapons capable of firing projectiles”. The one significant word missing? Firearm. This almost has to be a collection of air rifles that look like more dangerous weapons.

I’m in no way suggesting that this child has been detained unreasonably. I’m just confused by the reporting of the incident. His home-made grenades alone justify the arrest. He was by all appearances a danger to himself and others. My concern is that by trying this in the press based on confusing and misleading information, the real case against will be damaged, and he won’t get the necessary help.

Update Two: Finally, a little clarity. It appears that as I suggested, the table full of weapons was mostly air powered. Mom charged with buying Pa. teen weapons

Michele Cossey, 46, bought her home-schooled son, Dillon, a .22-caliber handgun, a .22-caliber rifle and a 9 mm semiautomatic rifle,

The teenager said the two .22-caliber weapons were stored at a friend’s house.

He was charged with solicitation to commit terror and other counts, but his lawyer, J. David Farrell, stressed that all but one of the weapons prosecutors put on display were pellet guns and air rifles.

Trackposted to Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Perri Nelson’s Website, , Leaning Straight Up, The Bullwinkle Blog, and Church and State, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.