# What would be the biggest news story?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-biggest-news-story/297985>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 6, 2005, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-biggest-news-story/297985 "2005-04-06T03:17:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-biggest-news-story/297985/21 "2005-04-06T23:02:31Z")

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Here is what would happen: the new networks would have Terri Schiavo giving her press conference and the scoll would be updates about the President’s condition. There might also be a small insert live from Rome.

That’s what would happen simultaneously. Who knows? They might try to save time and speculate on the reincarnation of Pope John Paul and compare the President’s assasination attempt to the Pope’s.

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**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-biggest-news-story/297985/22 "2005-04-06T23:41:41Z")

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President Bush being shot is the most likely answer – as long as we’re talking strictly about the **U.S.** media. Otherwise, the death of the Pope easily wins out. I just read a story this morning about how the death of the Pope was the [biggest media story **ever**](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/nation/columns/kurtzhoward/) by a wide margin, beating 9/11 by a factor of 3-1 and Bush’s reelection by 10-1.

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**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-biggest-news-story/297985/23 "2005-04-07T00:49:34Z")

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Is the crazy man Cheney who accidentally shoots Bush (non-fatally) in a hunting accident? Because that might be the only circumstance in which the President wouldn’t be the lead story.

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**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2005, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-be-the-biggest-news-story/297985/24 "2005-04-07T01:04:21Z")

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I’m sorry ArchiveGuy, it doesn’t count unless it was on pupose and it is for the love of a celebrity.  
The whoosh explained:

> **[John Hinckley Jr.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hinckley)**
>
> John Warnock Hinckley Jr. (born May 29, 1955) is an American who attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan in Washington, D.C. on March 30, 1981. Using a .22 caliber revolver, Hinckley wounded Reagan, police officer Thomas Delahanty, and Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy. He critically wounded Press Secretary James Brady, who was permanently disabled in the shooting and died from his injuries 33 years later.
> Hinckley was reportedly seeking fame in order to impress actress Jodie Fos...

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