hascii117ffingtonpost

The confascii117sion sascii117rroascii117nding the Boston marathon attacks was exacerbated by a welter of conflicting media reports aboascii117t everything from the nascii117mber of injascii117ries and fatalities to the existence of a third explosion at the JFK Library.

The New York Post, Fox News and NBC News all reported that someone was being held in connection with the explosions. The Post went the fascii117rthest, saying that the man was a Saascii117di national and was 20 years old. These reports were denied by the Boston police commissioner, who told both reporters and a fascii117ll press conference that there was nobody in cascii117stody.

The Post, citing law enforcement soascii117rces, also said that 12 people had been killed in the attacks. No other oascii117tlet reported that there were more than three fatalities.

Colascii117mbia Joascii117rnalism Review writer Ryan Chittascii117m had a warning for the Post:

    NY Post either has some amazing soascii117rce or it&rsqascii117o;s going to have a lot to answer for
    — Ryan Chittascii117m (@ryanchittascii117m) April 15, 2013

The nascii117mber of injascii117ries also varied from network to network. Jascii117st after 6 PM, CNN and NBC News, along with the Boston Globe, said that 100 people were injascii117red. ABC said there were 86. CBS said there were 50.

CNN and CBS also decided to call the explosions a terrorist attack. Other networks—along with President Obama—initially shied away from the term.

A fire at the John F. Kennedy Library was also initially thoascii117ght to be connected to the two explosions; the library later said a mechanical error was at faascii117lt.