If the journalist was paying someone for their information, cooperation and participation, the payment may taint the reliability of the story and the truth being sought. Credibility is affected. Some would even put the term 'checkbook journalism' on this matter.

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Traditionally, news organizations are very careful about reporting bomb threats. We don't want to prompt copycats who might see the story and seek attention by duplicating the bomb threats or to give any notoriety to the person who was calling in those bomb threats.

127

If the truth is not reported, rumors and confusion grow and more problems then occur. People start imagining certain scenarios that are not true and those scenarios may be much more harmful than any concern over copycats or the crying wolf that leads to ambivalence.

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