Well, the @#$*@*$ have done it again!

[CWC]

Bear with me as I vent a little here. I got up this morning and read the local paper which explained that the 13 trapped coal miners in W.V. had been found and 12 were alive. I was overjoyed at the news of this miracle and it really felt good to start the day knowing that these twelve mens families will not have to start the year out with tragedy. Then I get to work and check out the news only to find out it was a horrible lie and that only one minor has survived. Turns out that once again, in their effort to "report the news first" our countries worthless and unaccountable media has made this tragedy even worse. If they had waited a couple more hours or had bothered to check the source of information this would not have happened. I get sick to my stomach thinking about the poor families who heard this news and celebrated only to find out later that their loved ones didn't make it. With the communication technology we have today there is no excuse for this to happen and it is about time these reporters are held accountable! In my opinion the news we read about and hear on TV these days is less reliable then a supermarket rag and doesn't even have as much entertainment value. My prayers and sympathy go out to to the families of these men and hopefully the idiots who have caused them more pain will at least feel enough guilt to not make this type of mistake again in the future.

[Orrin]

Well said. I agree, completely.

On average, the US population is becoming less literate. This includes the folks in the media. Combine this with attempts at sensationalism and the rush to make a buck, the media is letting all of us down.

But, that's nothing new. I just read To Conquer the Air, an account of the Wright Brothers and others to develop a controllable heavier than air flying machine. The book points out many instances of newspapers inventing and embellishing the Wrights' accomplishments. One paper even printed a picture of the flyer taking off vertically, like today's rockets.

Generally, I only believe what comes from the experts, directly; but, even they cannot be trusted, i.e., the current Korean cloning and stem cell scandal.

Orrin

BTW, I highly recommend Conquer the Air. Even though we might think we know the story of the Wright Brothers, it will hold your interest with new revelations.

[Andrew Yeary]

Well I hope your right in that they won't make this mistake again, BUT I see it everyday in the news about the war. I just stopped watching news and other broadcast like that. I'm like you it just makes me mad to hear all the lies. However I think it will only get worse. I just hope that new leadership in those organizations will change the way they (media) currently does business.

[BDMelon]

I agree with the above post, a what gets me the most is, that woman reporter, no station named, have the brainless action to to try a walk down a family couple a ask what their feeling are! at that time, "We'LL I DON'T KNOW LADY, LETS BOUNCE THAT MIC. OFF YOU HEAD A FINE OUT, HOW THAT FEELS", HURTS RIGHT ! DAAAA THE MEDIA NEEDS TO STOP &
THING A LITTLE, THEN THEIR IS THE FINGER POINTERS STARTING WITH THEIR LAWYER
CRAP TALK, EARLIER ALSO. DARN IT

MELON

[ListerDiesel]

While the whole affair of the mistaken reporting has taken attention away from the actual accident, the pressure on media and rescue teams to give information out must be very hard to resist, and we should all perhaps stand back a little and look at what is happening at the scene.

Similarly, and at the same time almost, 11 people, mainly children, lost their lives when an ice-rink roof collapsed in Germany, that rescue is still ongoing but survivors are unlikely now.

In both cases, media reports were initially inaccurate and had to be corrected later on.

Perhaps there should be a news block until facts are established? or media personnnel should be barred from approaching residents/family or whatever until relatives have been informed etc.

The media performs a service, and the competitive nature of the industry means that we should all perhaps be wary of reading too much into initial reports and await later and more factual information.

Peter

[Bill Schaller]

it sounds like the media reported rumors as facts. the latest is that people were eavesdropping on cell phones, and overheard the fact that 12 people were found, and they were checking to see if they were alive. some rumor monger then told others that 12 were found alive, and the media reported it as fact. the report of 12 people being found alive did not come from the company or the state, so they should not be blamed. much like the false reports of Katrina, this is going to happen more and more.

[John Newman, Jr.]

The one & only major newspaper here in Saint Louis (which deserves its own special rant...) had the 12 found alive across the headline of the front page today. Maybe this kind of embarrassment will encourage them (collectively) to do a little more to ensure that what they are reporting is indeed fact. Would have been much better to put the paper out a little late with accurate information than to stick their foot in their mouth on a story of this magnitude.
On a tangent rant, how many times have you watched the news on TV and seen the captions giving the location of a story & etc spelled wrong. The lame excuse I have heard is that they have college interns doing these graphics. A sad statement on the spelling abilities of today's college students.

[sparkplug54]

I think.............well, I guess I don't want to even get started.I will tell you this I quit watching the news after all the millions of dallors CNN made off of Sept. 11th 2001. I do often wonder if the news ever donates any of their money towards the tragic events they report.I do like Lou Dobbs though at least he isn't a wuss, he speaks out against invaders from the south who now want teachers to start teaching Spanish as the primary language in schools in Texas. Funny how we live in a Democracy but the minority always seem to get their way. Dan Sheldon

[Gene Fisher]

Hey guys, get six engine collectors in a circle and the first one whisper to the second he to the third and so on. Guess what? as the last man tells what the first one told it is enntirrelley diffreent. So the people that got the wrong message and passed it on is like the fourth man in the circle. I do feel sorry for the survivors but I also feel sorry for the last man in the circle that got the wrong info.

[MoRo]

Having had experience in a family tragedy, I have reactions to "early news" of something like this. My mind screams in my head; "Why can't they keep their *#%^)@$ mouths shut until they know for sure!" In the group of guys I coffee with, they love to repeat "facts" and then speculate on how or why it happened. I guess if you're not a first-hand witness, you don't have any business talking about it, unless you're 106% sure of the facts.
Maybe it's time to regulate news media too. If they "scoop" a story and then have to make retractions, they should be fined umteen hundred thousand dollars for each infraction. Maybe that'd keep their traps shut until they actually have facts to report.
Another thing, why does anybody even talk to those vultures? Hypothetical situation: Terrible tragedy, be it fire or whatever. A wife and kids just learn that her husband, the kid's father has died. Right off the bat, cameras are in their ever-livin faces capturing the gut wrenching horror that they're expressing. I'm sorry if I seem crass and hard about this, but the victim's families and their feeling should come before a "scoop"
JMHO
~M~

[BDMelon]

this is what happens when "the press, have access to high tech scanners &
possilbe listen devices, to hear what the crew where saying, is it a possilbe that media are using this stuff & we don't know it? makes me think they do!!! & should not !

melon

[Pat Barrett]

I agree with all above, but, who told the news media this info, or how did they get it. Did someone provide them with false info? I can't stand most of the news media because they don't report facts, they are normally biased on how they report news. They can put a spin on it and make it sound like someone else's fault other than what it is. Such was with Katrina. Government and all other advisors told folks to get out, and what happens, news media goes to the people who DIDN'T LEAVE and reports on how they are not getting responded to. Sorry, not sympathy. for them or news media

[MoRo]

I guess where I really got p*ssed off was when I heard the report of their governor relaying the "news" of all the survivors. Why did he not make double-darn sure he had the real facts before he opened his mouth? He should be ashamed of himself.
~M~

[ronm]

From what I've heard, it was the mine owner, or the rep. of the owners, who heard the EMT's talking, somehow got the idea the miners were all alive, & blabbed it out to the families. Then they sat on it for 3 hr. when they found out the reverse was true...I'm no big fan of the media, usually pretty much agree w/what's been said here about them, but it seems in this case, maybe all the venom is a little bit misplaced...
In any case, it's hard to imagine what the families are going through now, our thoughts & prayers should go out to them.

[Monte Stock]

This thread is starting to sound like the news.

[Paul Spence]

I think that when such a thing happens, all the media should get is that something has happened and then they all get caged up in an out of the way spot untill everything is completed. I just turned it off after hearing the media asking the same questions over and over and over hoping to wear someone down into giving out some inaccurate information and then run with it as the truth and then blame the individual who was tricked as the person at fault. I'm tired of the media and the "NEWS" conferences with a media question and answer session. The "NEWS" conferences should be held with out a media question and session untill it's over. Just make a statement and walk away.They should be banned and their helicopters grounded.

[Phillip Hutchinson]

G'DAY ALL ,
Well out here in OZ the media showed miners coming out greeting their spouses,so i don't know where that come from.
Phillip

[DanR]

I have a very well worn soap box on this subject. Had it for years. The only news I listen to is the BBC on public radio. Try it and compair it to the US crap. My 2 cents worth.

[Chuck Parcher (Ks.)]

regardless of your political party affiliation, How about the news with Dan Rather in regard to reporting the news with forged documents. I don't know if Dan Rather knew what was going, but someone did, and I suspect that he did also. Either way a highly respected news anchor lost his job over reporting absolute lies. I don't remember the details as I rarely watch or read the news if I can help it. I think where the war is concerned some of the news media appear to be aiding and supporting the opposition. I'm not trying to influence anyones thinking, but when your in the military and are in the field for your country, it's hard to understand why the news media from your country seems to suggest that your the bad guy, and that the opposition is being wronged. To me some of this almost reaches the point of treason. Look at Tokyo Rose an American citizen that spent a long time in prison. Some of the news in my opinion is very close doing the same thing, and calling it freedom of the press. I read a book a few years ago on the American Civil War. Gen. Sherman who's tactics at times were ruthless not only toward the south, but later during the indian wars, would gather up reporters that were mingling around camp, at least during the civil war and tie them up, or detain them. If they could get any kind of rumor or information about an upcoming battle they would report it and aid the confederates. He considered them as spies and hated news reporters. It seems that the news media feels that it has become the 4th branch of govenment, Executive branch, Legislative branch, Judicial branch, and the Media branch holding the position that they are representing the people. Well I don't know if this is right or wrong or needed to some extent, but when they try to form public opinion, and sway others thinking to what they believe should be taking place, then they have stepped over the line from reporting the news to sometimes fabricating or manipulating it for their, or someone elses agenda. I'm not a fan of Prince Charles, but if that guy got up in the morning and somehow managed to put on a pair of socks that did'nt match, everyone in the world would know about it by noon. I think i'll leave it at that as I don't want to turn this into a political discussion, but I do believe the news is tainted. I must admit I don't have any solutions for the situation.

[Peter]

I am going to take a chance with my 2c here. I think, the problem in is not with the media, its 100% with the public. I always learned (all way back to grade school) the media was to be assumed flawed and biased. This is the price of a FREE press. Constitutionally guaranteed FREEDOM of the press. The public has a responsibility to read multiple papers and/or watch multiple news broadcast. It is foolish to use just one source be it BBC, FOX or CNN. Read and watch as much as you can and try and sort out the truth on an issue by issue basis.

The reporting on the mine accident was a minor tradgedy in it self. I dont mean to sound insensitive. I have lost both parents, one very early. Even so; I can only imagine how this must compound the pain. The silver lining, just as the Dan Rather case, is that hopefully the public will better understand how the media works.

What I am saying is. The media is what it always has been. Perhaps the schools have dropped the ball here. Back in the black and white days there used to be movies showing corrupt police and bad news reporters.