The Fine Line Between Speculation and Conspiracy

It's just been reported that the Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 had been flying for at least four more hours after its radar had disappeared. According to the Wall Street Journal, it is now believed the pilot or perhaps another figure of authority on the plane had diverted it to an undisclosed location after turning off transponders. The journal also reports that investigators were actively pursuing the notion that the plane was diverted 'with the intention of using it for another purpose'.

Of course, this reporting seems to suggest that the plane was hijacked in a possible act of terrorism. Families and friends called their loved ones and the phones continued to ring, suggesting the phones hadn't been destroyed yet. Earlier this week, it was reported that several passengers of Iranian descent had been flying on fraudulent passports, paying for their one-way ticket in cash - which served to fuel the rumours about the plane being used in a terrorism plot, as the same was done in 9/11. It was later reported that these men were asylum seekers.

Other conspiracy theories claim that the plane was town apart by an explosion, the pilot had attempted suicide or intercepted by UFOs. Some have also suggested it was transported to another world via wormhole.

Yeah, I don't get it either.

There are a number of media outlets, including CNN most notably, who are covering the disappearance for hours on end. Experts are all giving their two cents into what possibly happened. CNN has also received a spike in ratings due to their excessive coverage.

But this got me thinking - we don't know what happened to the plane yet. There is a chance the passengers might be still alive. So what good is all this speculation when the story hasn't really changed for days? I wonder how the passenger's families are taking all this information, when much of it is likely to be false as nothing is really known yet.

I'm not suggesting it shouldn't be reported on - not at all. But until media outlets can grasp onto some cold hard evidence about what really happened - I'm wondering if the excessive reporting on a stagnant story is more of a hindrance than a help.