Mistake my Butt. This is why I quit watching Local and National News a long time ago.
All credibility lost and will never be regained.
To me it seems that in the broadcast there’s way too much awareness and claimed detail than can be excused as a mistake. Somebody definitely tried to knit this into a well-developed hoax.
ABC is seemingly trying to excuse themselves as if it was thrown into their offices over some transom. I’m not buying that at all.
It’s probably the case that not every news reader was in the know, but someone with corporate decision authority purposely changed their standards to let this through. One doesn’t do that unless you’re willing to be be the source of a hoax.
I’ll take a shot of Knob Creek, to second you!