CABIN ATTENDANT RPT; S90; SJC-AUS. ON TKOF; STABILIZER TRIM PROB. RETURN TO SJC. FLT CANCELED; PLANE TAKEN OTS; MAINT PROC. GOOD PLT CABIN COM.

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SHORTLY AFTER TKOF; ABOUT 10 MINS; I GOT UP TO TURN ON THE OVEN IN FIRST CLASS. I WAS FLT ATTENDANT #1; AND SIT FORWARD WINDOW-SIDE JUMP SEAT POS. I HEARD A STRANGE NOISE UNDER MY FEET IN THE AISLE. FLT ATTENDANT #3 AND I DISCUSSED IT AND I WENT INTO THE COCKPIT TO TELL CAPT X. THE CAPT TURNED AROUND AS I ENTERED THE COCKPIT; TO TELL ME THAT WE WERE GOING BACK TO SJC. HE TOLD ME THAT THE ACFT WASN'T TRIMMING AND THAT THERE WOULD BE NO EVAC NECESSARY. HE TOLD ME THAT WE WOULD BE LNDG IN 10 MINS. I ASKED HIM IF THE LNDG/RETURNING HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE SOUND I HAD HEARD AND HE SAID YES. AFTER LEAVING THE COCKPIT I CALLED THE OTHER CREW MEMBERS; #2 AND #4; IN THE BACK (MAIN CABIN). I GAVE THEM THE SAME INFO THAT THE CAPT GAVE ME. THE CAPT MADE A PA FOR THE PAX; AND I DID AS WELL. WE NEVER MENTIONED THE WORD 'STABILIZER;' ONLY THE TRIM. WE ARE NOT SURE HOW THE MEDIA GOT WORD OF IT; EITHER. THE COM WITH OUR CREW WAS FANTASTIC. WE HAD A WORKING AND PROFESSIONAL COCKPIT WHO WE KNEW WELL. I WAS BRIEFED BY THE CAPT BEFORE TKOF. WE DISCUSSED MANY SCENARIOS. THIS CONTACT REALLY HELPED WITH OUR COORD OF SAFETY RELATED DUTIES AS WELL. AS WE TAXIED INTO THE GATE AREA; I REMINDED THE PAX TO REMAIN SEATED UNTIL OTHERWISE TOLD. WE WERE CONFIDENT IN OUR ABILITIES AND IN OUR JOBS. OUR CAPT GAVE US GOOD INFO AND HANDLED THIS EMER EXTREMELY PROFESSIONALLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE MEDIA HAD EVIDENTALLY BEEN LISTENING TO THE RADIO FREQ OF THE CONVERSATION WITH THE FIRE DEPT; CTL TWR AND PLTS. WHEN THEIR INFLT SUPVR MET THE FLT; SHE TOLD THE CREW THAT THE MEDIA WAS OUT THERE WITH CAMERAS. THE PLANE WAS TAKEN OTS FOR MAINT; AS IT ALSO LANDED 'HVY.' THE PAX AND CREW WERE REBOOKED.