BLACK TRIANGLES, SKINWALKER RANCH, AND LAZY JOURNALISM

 

BLACK TRIANGLES, SKINWALKER RANCH, AND LAZY JOURNALISM

By Steve Douglass 

As someone who has personally seen and photographed triangular, or "Dorito-shaped," aircraft on more than one occasion, I was naturally interested when reports of another mysterious black triangle began making the rounds in the media and UAP community today.

And then I wasn't.

The story sounded intriguing enough. Newly released government documents described a mysterious black triangular aircraft reportedly observed by federal agents. According to the account, the object was silent, maneuvered in unusual ways, and displayed performance characteristics the witnesses couldn't explain.

Naturally, the UAP community went into overdrive, and the media wasn't far behind.

But here's the problem.

Just because something appears in a newly released batch of government documents doesn't automatically make it credible, much less proof of something extraordinary.

It means somebody reported something and that report became part of an official record. That's a very important distinction that seems to be getting lost in the rush to generate headlines and clicks.

So I did a little digging.

The report included a map showing the location of the sighting, except the identifying information had been redacted. Apparently, whoever prepared the document thought that would be enough to conceal where the incident supposedly occurred.

It wasn't.

I fed the map into ChatGPT and asked it to identify the location based on the geographical features.

The match? Skinwalker Ranch, Utah.

Yes, THAT Skinwalker Ranch.

The place that bills itself as "the most scientifically studied paranormal hotspot on Earth."

It took me about ten minutes to get there.

Now, a geographical match made with AI isn't definitive proof, and it deserves independent verification. But it certainly provides an important lead that should have been investigated before the story was presented as another great UAP mystery, and frankly, knowing the reported location changes how I evaluate the story.

Skinwalker Ranch has become something of a paranormal entertainment industry unto itself. That doesn't automatically invalidate every observation made there, but it certainly warrants additional scrutiny, particularly when extraordinary claims are involved.

Look, I'm not dismissing the possibility that somebody saw an unusual aircraft. Quite the opposite. I've spent decades watching the skies, tracking military aviation, monitoring radio communications, and photographing aircraft that weren't necessarily supposed to be seen.

I've seen things that would make the average person stop and stare. I've also learned that something appearing extraordinary doesn't automatically make it extraterrestrial.

The latest report might describe a genuinely interesting encounter. It might involve an advanced drone, a classified military project, a misidentification, or something else entirely.

But extraordinary claims require investigation, not applause.

As for Skinwalker Ranch, I have a difficult time taking seriously an operation that wraps itself in the language of scientific research while simultaneously promoting itself as a paranormal entertainment destination.

Science requires independently verifiable evidence, transparent methodology, and a willingness to accept results that don't support your preferred explanation. Television ratings and sensational claims are not substitutes, and to my colleagues in the media: Do better.

Don't be so lazy that you mistake the release of an official document for government validation of its contents. Don't just regurgitate a sensational headline because everybody else is running with it.

Check the source. Check the location. Check the evidence. Find out who made the claim, what actually supports it, and whether there is another explanation.

That's Journalism 101.

Here's another thing worth remembering: When the government releases a document describing an alleged UFO encounter, it is not necessarily confirming the encounter happened as described. It's confirming that somebody filed a report.

Those are two entirely different things.

The UAP subject deserves serious investigation. There are credible witnesses, legitimate national security questions, and potentially important aviation-related observations worth examining.

But every time the media and UAP community turn an unverified account into the latest earthshaking revelation, they make it that much harder for legitimate researchers to be taken seriously.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Healthy skepticism isn't the enemy of UFO research. It's one of the most important tools we have.

If you really want to find the truth, you have to be just as willing to disprove something as you are to believe it.

Otherwise, you're not investigating.

You're just looking for confirmation of what you already want to believe.