Part of the reason why it was funny.

The Asahi Shimbun thought the story was worth a few paragraphs, noting in its conclusion that in 2006 and 2007 there were two incidents each of flying golf balls causing property damage and in 1980 a woman was injured. If you read Japanese, have a look at the linked story “在日米軍ゴルフ場からボール、小６けが　相模原市が抗議” (Golf Ball from US Military Golf Course Injures Sixth Grader, Sagamihara City protests).

http://www.asahi.com/national/.....70017.html

The story makes sense as long as the neighbor was using a Rube Goldberg putter.

In other words, Kent Brockman moment, or Brian Williams moment?

My brother’s friend was knocked out by the golf ball of her neighbor 2 houses down the road as he was practicing his put.

Methinks your friend’s neighgbour is having trouble grasping the concept of putting.

The story is the sort of thing they can film quickly on the way back from something that did not pan out. (Notice how there’re no interview with the kid or someone from the base?)

it’s sort of funny. What reports were done just before and just after it? Likely, the news director was using it as a segue or palate cleanser between two other items. How can we get from the circus is on town to baby killer on the loose? We’ll need something in between.

The story was filmed as a back-up in case an on-air interview fell through. Sadly, it did.

There was a story aired the day before about a kid who was hurt really badly at a park during a baseball game and the golf ball story fits in with a running theme of public safety.

Someone at the station thinks “if it bleeds, it leads” even covers bloody noses.

@Sonagi,

Did Japanese media think it was newsworthy? Was this on every station? Or, did one news crew one day have to deal with a deadline or some other circumstance by serving up a silly story?