Fox 8 Cleveland Rant

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 So, I know reporting in general has sunk to a new low, but it is worse than I thought.  Fox8 just ran a story on Harley Dilly in which the homeowner states there are no fireplaces in the house.  They then immediately follow that with an explanation of how his coat and glasses ended up on the second floor by falling through the fireplace opening.  The story was complete with an illustration of a fireplace. 

 The homeowner was clear about no fireplaces. In a different story on their website the homeowner said there are only 8" round flue pipe connections. No fireplaces. Either way, it was a huge discrepancy that should have been clarified before airing, especially this many days after the incident. I emailed them about it.  Here is their response:

Hi xxxx

Thanks for your email and more importantly thanks for watching.

Despite your insult we are happy to respond.

And it’s a very simple answer that we thought anyone would be able to understand.

A fireplace and a fireplace opening are two different things!

The family had an opening for a fireplace that actually connected to a pot belly stove. The stove was located where the fireplace could have been if the family chose to install one. They did not.

Hope that helps you understand and clears up your confusion about good journalism.

Have a great day!

Fox 8

My response:

Hi Fox8-

You have not done a good job of convincing me. An opening for a stovepipe for a pot belly stove, and an opening for a fireplace are 2 completely different things. The owners stated an opening for a stove. Your story showed an opening for a fireplace. There is a lot of confusion all around with story, but I have to believe the owner knows his house.

We will cover what constitutes "breaking news" in another email.

Regards,