At least the cable news channnels haven’t tried this. . .yet:
SAO PAULO, Brazil — In one murder after another, the Canal Livre TV show had an uncanny knack for being first on the scene, gathering graphic footage of the victim.
Too uncanny, say police, who are investigating the show’s host, state legislator Wallace Souza, on suspicion of commissioning at least five of the murders to boost his ratings and prove his claim that Brazil’s Amazon region is awash in violent crime.
“The order to execute always came from the legislator and his son, who then alerted the TV crews to get to the scene before the police,” state police intelligence chief Thomaz Vasconcelos charged in an interview with The Associated Press.
The killings, he said, “appear to have been committed to get rid of his rivals and increase the audience of the TV show.”
Souza’s lawyer, Francisco Balieiro, said his client vehemently denies the accusations. Balieiro claimed political opponents were trying to smear him with false accusations, and that the only witness is a disgraced police officer hoping for leniency in nine murders he is charged with.
“There is not one piece of material proof in these accusations,” Balieiro said.
No evidence, except, of course, all the dead people and video footage.