And finally, to a strange and scandalous story that even at the time seemed incredibly hard to believe.

Here is Virginia Trioli on ABC Breakfast:

VIRGINIA TRIOLI: New South Wales paramedics are calling for more protection and support from the state government after an incident yesterday in which they were bailed up by an aggressive mob in Sydney’s South. Paramedics say they were trying to treat a patient for a drug overdose at Riverwood when a group of angry men threatened them and assaulted them. - News Breakfast, ABC, 3 September, 2018

That shocking report emerged a fortnight ago, after the Australian Paramedics Association made the claims in this press release:

Paramedics were forced to fend off angry males who eventually forced them to stop treating the patient who was in cardiac arrest and subsequently died. - Press release, Australian Paramedics Association, 2 September, 2018

News of the near-riot ran all morning on the ABC, which detailed those disturbing allegations.

And over on Seven, the Paramedics Association secretary Steve Pearce told viewers:

STEVE PEARCE: A mob formed at the premises that grew in numbers, they called police, ended up having to barricade themselves in a room so that they could continue to carry out their life-saving procedures. - Seven Afternoon News, 3 September, 2018

But later that afternoon came warning bells, as another side of the story emerged:

MARK FERGUSON: A family has denied claims they assaulted and intimidated paramedics trying to save a man's life. - Seven News, 3 September, 2018

The family’s lawyer told Ben Fordham on 2GB that the claims by the paramedics were wrong:

RAED RAHAL: … the events that they say happened did not happen … Once they were told there’s nothing that can be done they were emotional, they were loud but they certainly did not, did not threaten or harass or intimidate and certainly didn’t assault the paramedics … To somehow suggest that they contributed to the death of this young man is disgraceful. - Sydney Live, 2GB, 3 September, 2018

And then two days later came this astonishing apology as the Paramedics Association conceded the mob attack simply never happened:

… any statement in the previous media release to the effect that Mr. Ibrahim’s family members either contributed or were in any way responsible for his death is wholly incorrect and should not have been published. APA (NSW) deeply regrets publishing its previous media release and unreservedly apologises. - Press release, Australian Paramedics Association, 5 September, 2018

Better late than never.

But cold comfort to the grief-stricken family who’d endured endless news reports and nasty abuse on social media for their supposed attack on hard-working ambos.

As their lawyer told Media Watch:

His wife and family had to read abusive comments on Facebook from trolls, attacking their race and their religion, blaming them for his death … They’re devasted. - Raed Rahal, Phone interview, 7 September, 2018

So, how on earth could the initial press release have gotten it 100 per cent wrong?

Well, we don’t know, because the NSW Paramedics Association would not tell us, citing legal advice.

Nor would the public relations firm Mountain Media, which issued the release.

We put a series of questions to both of them, about what attempts were made to verify the claims and whether the PR firm breached the industry’s code of conduct by knowingly distributing false or misleading information.

But we received no answers, and we think that is a disgrace.

Maybe the courts will get to the bottom of what happened and provide redress for reports that everyone now accepts were totally wrong.

Read the APA (NSW) response to Media Watch.

Read the questions we put to Mountain Media