Electrons run amok in Massachusetts Senate race
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
In the brave new electronic world that includes such morality movies as Avatar, it seems that anything is possible. Even declaring a winner in the Massachusetts Senate race before the polls closed.
Boston.com briefly put up a map of the Senate results, about eight hours before the polls actually closed, according to the enterprising reporters at the Boston Phoenix.
The post shows Martha Coakley with a narrow victory over Scott Brown.
Even before conspiracy theorists could flood media mailboxes with dark denunciations, the Globe apologized for the error, blaming a test of a wire service feed that inadvertently went live.
Such computer glitches have probably hit every newspaper website over the years.
But past media boo-boos over political outcomes predate today’s 24/7 news cycle. It was the Chicago Tribune that won a footnote in history with its 1948 front page that screamed “DEWEY DEFEATS TRUMAN.”
--Michael Muskal
RELATED:
Whatever happens in Massachusetts, Obama will pursue his agenda, White House says
David Axelrod: ‘Hat’s off’ to Scott Brown in Massachusetts Senate race
Obama to Democrats: Call Massachusetts
GOP wins by changing national debate, regardless of Massachusetts outcome
