Fake stories
They did not want the reporter to talk to or report on Thomas once they met with him and realized he worked for a gimmicky news site mostly focused on sensationalism and phony stories. They knew he’d make fun of him in the article and make a fool of himself…
It’s All About Money
However, the reporter did not take the family’s words seriously. He was here for a job, and Thomas was eager to tell him his “crazy” story. He’d be silly not to write an article about it because he knew it’d bring him substantial money.