"Have you watched any of channel 5's coverage? This morning they were describing Jihad Joey as a troubled youth who had died in the explosion. What the heck??? Does it kill them to tell what happened in plain language? "He was a suicide bomber." That's all they have to say!"
I think the contrast in coverage with channel 9 and its affiliated paper and with the national media's treatment of the topic shows that ALL media outlets were 'asked' not to cover this story. Presumably the decision by channel 9 to run with it anyway was a corporate decision made for personal/moral reasons, most importantly that it was their own backyard that nearly had a massacre.
It is even possible (speculation) that owners or officers (or members of their families) of the corporation owning that channel were at the game, which would really incense them when told not to cover it.
If I recall correctly, channel 9 is also the only locally-owned station in Oklahoma City. I don't know who owns channel 5, but channel 4 (NBC) is owned by the NYT.
From what I could learn yesterday, a LOT of Norman is not buying the "troubled youth" or any of the rest of the whitewash. One thing about Norman--you can mess with a lot of things here, but NOT football!
There was finally a small mention on the morning TV show of the local FOX affiliate in Dallas - but they were still in "take this with a grain of salt" mode.
Channel 5 is a joke and has been for sometime. I will never forget after we won the Big 12 title game in Houston in 2002 for a right to go to the Rose Bowl, the morons from Channel 5 dissed our quarterback Nate Hybl right on the air. It was disgusting. More than once that station on sports has run a rumor as fact. Recently they ran a rumor from a message board without verifying it with local DA or OU.
I get irritated everytime I watch their news. I forget which media outlet controls them but Channel 9 is an independently, locally owned CBS affiliate that isn't afraid to do the tough stories.