Stating the facts

I can understand journalists exercising caution when it comes to making statements. Better to quote somebody or attribute to a source than to go out on a limb yourself.

But it often gets ridiculous.

Is there any excuse for insisting on attributing undisputable facts? We get treated to this all the time -- particularly, it seems, in radio journalism. Yesterday I heard a story on the end of the St. John, NB - Digby, NS ferry. A radio report informed me that fishermen claim that without the ferry, they will have to drive the long way round from Digby. That's like saying that experts report that December will follow November this year. It's a fact. There's no disputing it. No attribution needed.