Image Source: Houston Chronicle

BY JESSICA FLY
 

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A tip from a psychic led to big news in Texas-- and the media were quick to jump on the story.

 “Coming out of the Houston, Texas area. Dozens of bodies found in a mass grave in Liberty county northeast of Houston.”

Only problem is-- the story ended up not being true.

But multiple media outlets- local and national- reported incorrectly that Texas authorities found 20 to 30 bodies in a home after a psychic’s tip-off on Tuesday.

Trace Gallagher for Fox News Insider reported as the story was breaking.

Trace Gallagher: “It is way too early Shep to be knocking this down as nothing on the other hand it is also way too early to be talking about 25-30 bodies being found on scene when not a single body has been found on that property around that house and they are now waiting to go inside that house and do a thorough search to find out if further investigation is necessary.”

The Telegraph reports-- the search warrant was obtained, the house was searched, and the results put the media outlets who jumped the gun to shame.

“We have no indication that there are in fact any bodies located in the residence or in the shed or any property here at the scene.”

While the no-dead-bodies part is good news-- NPR says -- it’s bad for the media -- who should take note -- being the first across the breaking news finish line doesn’t always make you a winner.

 “That even in this age of intense competition and instant reporting, it's important for news outlets to remember that they should stick to what they know...such as attributing information, waiting to hear from multiple sources and being very, very careful about how we phrase our reports.”

A blogger for the Washington Post compiled a selection of tweets from news organizations as the story unfolded....

Including this one from CNN: “‘At least 20 bodies discovered at a home in Hardin, Texas, some are children's bodies...’”

And those tweets didn’t go unnoticed. A writer for Mediaite says the gruesome tale turned into the likes of a fable on the social media feeds.

“As the story unfolded over Twitter, however, it quickly transformed from a scarcely believable news item shared by the likes of CNN and the AP, to a cautionary tale about the dangers of believing everything you read...”

And the media aren’t the only ones in the doghouse. Police are now trying to locate the psychic whose tip turned out to just be a highly publicized hoax.

 

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Transcript by Newsy.