At a Trump rally, shocking images fill TV screens. Then reporters rush to find out what it means

The images filled television screens across a rattled country on a hot Saturday evening — former President Donald Trump reaching for his bloodied ear as he moved down to the floor of a stage at a Pennsylvania campaign rally and U.S. Secret Service agents rushing to surround him.

While the video was instantly available and repeated dozens of times, its meaning was not as evident. And viewers watched the painstaking process of reporters rushing to fill in the blanks of a political assassination attempt.

“It’s really, really a scary moment in American history,” CNN’s Wolf Blitzer said.

The coverage started immediately

News and broadcast networks began lengthy coverage within moments — as soon as it was apparent that something terrible had happened. What unfolded was a textbook example of the ultimate test for journalists as a big story unfolds: trying to get reliable information as quickly as possible while taking care not to speculate, be overheated or pass on unfounded rumors.

When The Associated Press issued its first alert of the news, at 6:16 p.m. Eastern, it stuck strictly to what could be seen: “Donald Trump escorted off stage by Secret Service during rally after loud noises ring out in crowd.” Similarly, The New York Times’ first word described Trump rushed offstage “after pops that sounded like gun shots were heard.”

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