From NBCnws.com:
Quote:
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After he was arrested outside the theater, Holmes told police that he was the Joker, a reference to one of the most prominent villains in the Batman canon, a law enforcement official told NBC News on condition of anonymity.
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This is consistent with a number of reports that have appeared, including in the New York Times.
I'm not sure what the issue is here. Law enforcement officials report, rightly or wrongly, that the guy modeled himself after the Joker. News media outlets report what these law enforcement officials say. That is what reporters and editors are paid to do. Of course, later on, the facts may prove to be much different. And, insofar as these facts may be discovered and understood, responsible news media outlets will report them as accurately as possible, without breathless fluff. So what is the problem here with the news media? If it turns out that the guy never said anything about mimicking the Joker, it was not the news media that said he did. It was the people allegedly in the know who told reporters that he said that. And the reporters reported it. That is their job.