The Press: Tall Tale

All over Michigan, dailies have been publishing pictures of unusually tall sunflowers. Last week the Saginaw News ran a “sunflower to end all sunflowers”: 75 feet high, being watered by a hook & ladder fire truck (see cut). “Firemen,” said the News caption, “were called out when observers thought frankly they were seeing a stalled flying saucer.” But the dozing Detroit A.P. bureau didn’t read the fine print, missed the gag and sent out the picture over its wirephoto circuits as an authentic shot. Later, red-faced A.P. flashed its clients: “A kill is mandatory. Make certain the picture is not published.” As a substitute, it sent out a picture of a real sunflower—only 14 feet high.