Why does the media embrace the Wingnut Factor?

Sigh....

This morning MSNBC covered the story from a few days ago where lightning hit a tree in Arizona, surprising a couple of teens who were at home watching television and causing some damage inside the house. The strike supposedly caused a surge which was conducted into the house via the electrical wiring, blasted out the television and burned a couch.

Ok. Slow news day, it's a worthy story and fortunately no one was injured.

Then MSNBC had to add in the wingnut hook when they interviewed the mother of the teens, who was out shopping during the storm. The mother is claiming her son had a "premonition" of "something wrong" and wanted to leave right away so they rushed home. When the mother eventually made it home she discovered that the premonition of disaster had indeed "come true".

Isn't it a more likely explanation that a bored young boy is out shopping with his mom, is cranky and just really wants to go home to play video games or goof around?

Another perfect example of ignoring reality, self-delusion and editing the facts to fit into pre-conceived notions.

I become increasingly annoyed that the main stream media continually enables superstition and panders to the gullible instead of heaping ridicule on Bigfoot-seekers and Homeopathic quacks like they should.

I'd like to see some fact-checking done by the media before being so careless with their "news".

I have some questions:

• How long was it between the "premonition" and leaving for home? A store receipt could narrow this time frame down.
• Did mom indeed rush home based on the "premonition"? I'd like to know how much time actually elapsed. So did she drive normally, taking the usual amount of time it takes during travel between the departure and arrival points or did she speed home, arriving sooner? This would lend some credence to the supernatural claim.
  
• Did mom stop off at other destinations between the "premonition" and arriving home?
• Was there any communication between neighbors, Police or Fire Department or the children at home with the mother via cell phone?
• Would mom want to earn a million dollars?

Questions directed to the fundies:

• What were the girl's watching on that television that could earn as punishment the divine wrath of god?
  
• Why would god send a premonition to the younger brother when he was punishing the sinning teens at the same time?
• Is there some way this can be blamed on homosexuals?