# Quit with the special report alerts!!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-with-the-special-report-alerts/261840>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [August 27, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-with-the-special-report-alerts/261840 "2004-08-27T20:48:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-with-the-special-report-alerts/261840/1 "2004-08-27T20:48:42Z")

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I listen to the radio at work. Every once in a while, you’ll hear the heart-pounding drums and the announcer saying, “This is an ABC News Special Report” in the oh-so-serious tone that makes you think, “Oh, shit, what now?”

Ever since Sept 11, my heart jumps into my throat at those words. In this day and age, every time I hear that announcement, I think the worst.

So when I heard it this afternoon, I think, “Oh, God, not another Russian airliner crashing,” or maybe “There’s been a car bomb at the mall.”

But no, this time, those dramatic words were followed by [this](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5841318/?GT1=4529) incredibly important piece of news.

:smack:

That’s not a special report! Yes, it’s newsworthy, but do you have to give me a freaking heart attack over something that could have waited for the newsbreak!

Quit crying wolf!!

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**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-with-the-special-report-alerts/261840/2 "2004-08-27T22:59:02Z")

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I totally agree. Anytime I hear the special alert music my heart jumps into my throat, just to find off that the president is giving a speech that has been expected for weeks. Hear, hear.

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**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2004, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-with-the-special-report-alerts/261840/3 "2004-08-28T13:39:48Z")

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I just think, since Sept 11, such things should be used with a bit more discretion.

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**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-with-the-special-report-alerts/261840/4 "2004-08-29T07:29:04Z")

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**WARNING! SPECIAL REPORT!**

A California teenager has recently committed the inevitable act of engaging in the very activity currently being pitted! Officials are still shaking their heads in disgust! Tape at eleven!

Sorry.

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**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quit-with-the-special-report-alerts/261840/5 "2004-08-29T20:55:13Z")

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This is one of the reasons I stopped using [cnn.com](http://cnn.com) as my home page. They use those heartstopping gigantic red “BREAKING NEWS” banners about twice a week, and it’s usually about somebody finding an eggplant that looks like George W. Bush, or some such.