I wrote just a few days ago about the cannonball that got away. Then I forgot about the story until I just happened to notice the Mythbuster’s show hosts being quoted with contradictory statements in two different papers.

Note the sincerity reported in the San Francisco Chronicle:

After assuring Shetty, his two children, his wife and her parents that they would never again blast a home with heavy ordnance, Hyneman and Savage said the incident was the worst thing that had happened during thousands of experiments over eight years on the Discovery Channel show.

They also promised they wouldn’t air the footage they had filmed of the near-catastrophic cannon shot.

Nice breach response. A personal visit and a promise. Small problem, however, here’s a completely different response in the Los Angeles Times:

Savage said that despite the mishap, the cannon episode will still air, mostly likely in the spring.

The accident is “by far the most serious event that has occurred” on the show, Hyneman added. But he and his partner are taking it seriously. “It’s one of the reasons we have such a good safety record overall,” he said.

People that bring up “we have a good safety record overall” right after a breach aren’t thinking about the victims. People that promise not to air an episode but also say it will be seen in the spring….

Maybe this contradiction is a matter of sloppy reporting and misquotes? Or is it just a fine example of how people in northern and southern California view risk differently (reporter bias)?

Amusing example of how breach responses need to be formed carefully and with consistency.