Gordon Forgey

A great mystery has captured the attention of the world. Speculation and conjecture are filling the airwaves.

Few facts are known, other than a Boeing 777 on Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 with 239 passengers aboard disappeared on route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. It went off radar and, but for occasional, cryptic “pings,” never reappeared.

The plane has been missing for nearly two weeks now. More than 26 different countries are involved in the search and investigation.

A search was started in the area of its last known location and projected path. Then, new information led the search into other areas. Now, the search involves millions of square miles from as far as north as Pakistan to southern portions of the Indian Ocean.

Confusion has marked the search and investigation. Information on the progress of the search has been contradictory. In all this time, the search area has dramatically increased rather than narrowed. Speculation has grown rather than put to rest. Politics, national security and military secrets have surfaced rather than put aside. Suspected causes have swung from one extreme to another.

One thing is for sure. All this has generated breathless television reporting and rampant speculation by pundits and supposed experts who appear to be everywhere. Unfiltered questions and comments are being aired, such as the one about the plane being sucked up by a black hole. Even newspapers have printed speculation and unfounded theories.

The disappearance of Flight 370 brings up yet another question: Are we as a nation getting information and news or are we just being titillated by speculation and showmanship for entertainment?

Gordon Forgey

Publisher