[heleny]

its readers know that the Shuttle Challenger was burning up in the atmosphere and trailing debris as it crossed the coast of California, while the mainstream media were still sitting on their heels, waiting

Thanks for writing and posting this essay. Just a small correction: you meant Columbia (which disintegrated February 1, 2003), not Challenger (which disintegrated January 28, 1986)

[Congressman Billybob]

Thank you. I Googled "shuttle disaster" but picked up the wrong one. Your correction has been sent to all the editors who publish my columns.

Cordially,
\
John / Billybob

[George Smiley]

Columbia (which disintegrated February 1, 2003)

That sticks in my mind, although I, too confuse the shuttle names if I don't *really* think about it hard.

My wife and I were in Hong Kong for Lunar New Year.

My son called us to inform us about Columbia, and it was the only time that we looked at a television during that entire trip.

We saw news channel coverage in English, German, French and Chinese, as I recall.