RT is now reporting 17 dead: https://www.rt.com/news/336519-explosions-hit-brussels-airport/ https://www.rt.com/news/336519-explosions-hit-brussels-airpo... I

RT is now reporting 17 dead: https://www.rt.com/news/336519-explosions-hit-brussels-airport/ https://www.rt.com/news/336519-explosions-hit-brussels-airpo... I take it as people relaying the information that they have, along with the degree of confidence of that information. The reporting of unconfirmed information eventually consolidates and a consensus is reached about the truth. Some of the info also changes moment to moment. Maybe the number was 10 a while ago, but it's 17 now. Reporters don't want to wait a day until police have comprehensively examined the crime scene - they want to report their best guess as breaking news now, since people are curious and want to know what's going on. The question is, how does unconfirmed information go to becoming confirmed? When several people report it. If I see an explosion first hand and post about it to Twitter, then that's unconfirmed, but people will share it to spread the word, at which point it will either be corroborated or people will call it out as a hoax. Somewhere along the line, a news organization investigates the sources and "calls it" as confirmed, but they're using their judgment in relying on sources they have access to, either from their own reporters on the ground, or from other news agencies, or from enough people reporting the same thing to take the accounts as trustworthy. There may be no "confirmed" death toll until days for now - until after the disposition of all injured victims is known, for example. (Some may day later in the hospital.) Many different news organizations as well as bloggers and other people all posting their best guess as to what's going on. I have no first hand information about what's happening, so I'm personally trying to relay all the information I have by linking to it directly.