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Old 04-16-2008, 05:16 PM   #2 (permalink)
seanner689
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This already happens. News people predict the future all the time ... in elections, for example, they are always polling and giving predictions of the future outcome. They even select projected winners based on only a few percent of precincts reporting. Weather people predict the weather, anylists give speculations on the future of the housing market, job market, health care system, etc.

When someone goes missing, it's often speculated that the missing person may be dead ... I can't think of the guy's name, but his girlfriend went missing ... it then came to light that his ex-wife died in a hot tub a couple years prior. He is questioned by police ... etc. The news doesn't specifically say this woman will be found dead because it's not factual, they allow the readers to observe the (sometimes biased) facts and come to their own (sometimes obvious) conclusions.

Newspapers, for example, don't usually post a story about a missing person unless they believe that there is some potential for a sensational outcome. They are already making predictions on the outcome before you even read the story; they won't be inclined to follow a week long search if they think the guy's going to show up at his grandma's ranch just taking a holiday, it's just not good news.

Newspapers would be in big trouble (in terms of the law, as well as integrity to readers) if they just picked an outcome and reported it as fact, as opposed to stating it as a forecast, projection, prediction, opinion, etc. If you can predict the future with any degree of certainty, go buy some lottery tickets or play the stock market.

And I don't understand the last part in your post about the girl never having taken cocaine.
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