"Man out of Jail" Paradox

A criminal is released from prison. During an interview with a journalist, said criminal reveals that a famous actor, "Cheated on his taxes."

There were rumors that this actor was in trouble with the IRS ... and this criminal just happens to be a former accountant with the firm that handled the actor's affairs. So, the journalist runs with the story. The next day a headline appears in the newspaper he writes for: "Actor Cheated on Taxes, says Former Accountant," and the news spreads around the world. The fact that the accountant is also a felon is glossed over.

Now, let's take the same criminal ... the same circumstances with the actor rumored to be investigated by the IRS ... and this time, when the criminal is released from prison, he tells the same journalist, "The actor is innocent. I know, because I was there. He didn't cheat on his taxes."

This time, the journalist writes a piece critical of the criminal: "Felon claims Actor didn't Cheat on Taxes," a negative headline followed by a negative skeptical article.

Do you see the paradox? If the criminal validates the rumor, the MEDIA believes his words. If the criminal refutes the allegations, the MEDIA turns a skeptical eye towards the felon and says, "Consider the source. How can we believe a felon just released from prison?"

Just to add to the paradox: in the first example, the accountant gets a seven-figure book deal, and is interviewed on 60 Minutes and Oprah. In the second example, the same accountant becomes a minor footnote in history, forgotten by the mass MEDIA and most of the general public -- except for the few readers of the DailySkew, who take careful note of such things.