Posted on 01/04/2006 8:43:05 AM PST by beyond the sea
TALLMANSVILLE, United States (AFP) - Relatives of 13 coal miners trapped for nearly two days underground reacted in anger and sorrow after hearing that only one had survived, and not 12, as had erroneously been announced earlier.
Families keeping vigil at a church had broken into hymns when they heard that the 12 men had survived. Three hours later, their jubilation turned into grief when they were told the miners were dead.
"The initial report from the rescue teams from the command center indicated multiple survivors, but that information proved to be a miscommunication," International Coal Group (ICG) president and chief executive Ben Hatfield told reporters.
Hatfield identified the lone survivor as Randal McCloy, 27, who was taken to West Virginia University Hospital, where a doctor said he was in critical condition and dehydrated, with a collapsed lung.
"The 11 remaining miners in the barricade structure were determined by the medical technicians on the rescue team to have already deceased," Hatfield said.
The community had been waiting anxiously for news on the miners since they were trapped early Monday by an explosion that ripped through the Sago mine as they were resuming work after the Christmas and New Year holidays.
One body was recovered late Tuesday, but shortly before midnight (0500 GMT Wednesday), bells pealed and cheers erupted at the nearby Sago Baptist Church, as West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin announced: "They told us they have 12 alive."
Three hours later, people left the church in a state of shock and in tears after mining officials inside had confirmed the grim news that only one of the miners had survived.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.netscape.cnn.com ...
Could it be the company president was more worried about actually rescuing the miners and not what the media was erroneously reporting?
And meanwhile we can't drill for oil in ANWR. Beam me up!
Actually in the FR threads at the time the MSM was being attacked for not being enthusiastic enough about the good news; Geraldo was being praised, however.
I guess everyone is so quick to shoot the messenger that they are missing the obvious miracle - 1 miner survived!
Sure there is a lot of heartache on parade, but I certain that that survivor and his family are glad that he made it. I wonder if the media even cares. I suppose this guy is an inconvenient detail in the rush to exploit a tragedy.
Well I won't play. Personally I'm happy that the heroic rescuers found at least one miner alive. They should be rewarded with praise, not given the cold shoulder just because they couldn't save all of the lost miners. As details come out, it may just be that the others had no chance. Regardless, they did save one life, and we should be joyous for that miracle.
Personally, my husband and I thought at the time he sounded drunk or high. We both commented on it while he was talking.
re: He should have gotten word to the families right away, not waiting for near on three hours
He waited until he had the facts. It is very difficult in the heat of a disaster such as this to get facts. He should have been the first place the media went to seek confirmation of a rescue.
I have no idea what happened to start the rumor in the church that 12 had been rescued. What I DO know is that from the very first mention of a rescue Fox news was reporting it as fact. No mention of the possibility that the report was based not on a statement from officials, state or local, just that 12 of them were alive.
Very poor journalism. Along with the ability, protected by the constitution no less, to report the news comes a responsibility and obligation to get it right.
The anchor at Fox probably just took it for granted that the reporter on the scene had exercised the normally expected care to confirm what was about to be reported. In the news of 30 years ago the story would have been filtered through any number of editors, none of whom would have passed information up the line that he or she had not confirmed for himself or herself. A large part of the problem is that they now have the ability to put on the air almost anyone from almost anywhere. The task of confirmation has fallen to the least experienced member of the team, the person at the scene.
Remember how long it took for the networks to report that JFK was dead? He was DOA, but it was at least two hours before the networks could confirm the facts sufficiently to air them. That level of professionalism is a thing of the past.
The simple fact is that a lot of news people ran with a story that had not been confirmed. The story was that families at the church had been told of a rescue of 12 men. What hit the air was that 12 had been rescued alive.
I know it seems like nit picking, but all of those rules and standards are there for a reason, and this is what happens when they are ignored or skipped.
The object is not to get it correctly, but to get it first...ratings...equal revenue...and all newscorporations are whores...
And a poor PR job by the company. I've been in the Public Affairs/Corporate Communications business for many years and one of the highest priorities is to quash rumors as soon as they start flying. This Hatfield guy let the families celebrate for three hours before breakng the bad news to them. He should have immediately looked into the rumor through his contacts on the scene.
"Could it be the company president was more worried about actually rescuing the miners and not what the media was erroneously reporting?"
My thoughts exactly. I can't imagine him sitting back watching Geraldo and letting folks think they were alive. My bet is that he didn't even know people thought they were alive.
he shows the same emotion with each new wife and sleep partner, howls and screams this is the one only to drop her a few years later along with whatever kids are produced from the union
Certainly this is devastating to all involved. However, one thing I wondered.... they originall said 12 alive and 1 dead. Did not one of those families wonder if the 1 dead was THEIRS??? So when it changed to 12 dead, it now meant all of those not considering this possibility were crushed. I don't get it. I would've been the family thinking my guy was the dead one (just the Irish in me I guess).
Geraldo on Fox now. He was just asked if media should take any responsibility. He responded that you can't blame the messenger. Sounds like he is blaming the Gov's office.
"they originall said 12 alive and 1 dead. Did not one of those families wonder if the 1 dead was THEIRS???"
Impeccable logic! I hadn't thought of that.
They should be rewarded with praise, not given the cold shoulder just because they couldn't save all of the lost miners. As details come out, it may just be that the others had no chance. Regardless, they did save one life, and we should be joyous for that miracle.
I agree. Others would be happy, too, if somewhere, someone hadn't bungled the statement that they had found the other 12. Once it got twisted it must have circulated like wildfire.
I'd be pretty darned miserable if I were the one(s) who brought false hope to a sad situation. God knows that would be punishment enough.
In the future, I have a feeling there may be a little tighter cap on information getting out until the miners do. You aren't out until you feel the sun on your face.
Remember Katrina? The MSM bungled the facts about it right from the gate. Do you ever hear them admit their often incorrect facts? Never. Another reason to shut them off.
My heart goes out to them.
Unless, of course, you are planning on mothballing the coal-fired plants that account for almost 50% of our electricity, and the entire US steel industry, and converting the whole thing to a petro system. I don't think you'll find a single soul who would attempt to justify that on any basis.
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