Posted on 12/18/2013 5:40:38 AM PST by PROCON
Getting it wrong, news outlets’ erroneous forecasts: Healthcare.gov like online shopping, abundant Atlantic hurricanes, $24 billion government shutdown and more.
Print, broadcast or web, the media sure aren’t Nostradamus. In spite of their best attempts, the news media have gotten it wrong prediction after prediction on a wide range of business and economic issues in 2013.
Just in the past year, reporters warned of “economic doomsday,” thought Healthcare.gov was going to be “easy” just like Amazon.com, and warned of melting polar ice, even as a new record was set for ice mass.
In many cases, the failed predictions were an extension of journalists’ standard talking points – pro-ObamaCare, anti-conservative and sky-is-falling global warming worries. But they should have left the fortune telling to the Psychic Friends Network.
The MRC’s Business and Media Institute analyzed the worst media mistakes of the year to come up with the 10 most ridiculous or wildly inaccurate media predictions. Here is our list:
(Excerpt) Read more at mrc.org ...
“when it came to Atlantic hurricanes, reality was the opposite of forecasts. Rather than an extreme season, the 2013 hurricane season was the slowest in 30 years in terms of hurricane frequency. Rather than the seven to 11 hurricanes predicted, only two storms reached hurricane status.”
As a person that lives in Fla. I find this behavior reprehensible. All it does is gets people all worked up. They are soo desperate for a scoop. Notice how lately every rain shower or snow storm now has a name? ..............What a joke.
RE: “You can keep your plan”:
>>The press corps then sounded something like this: “Dad, remember what you told me about my hamster when he disappeared? Well, he didn’t really go to Rodent Band Camp, did he?”<<
Line of the Year!
” As a person that lives in Fla. I find this behavior reprehensible. All it does is gets people all worked up. They are soo desperate for a scoop. Notice how lately every rain shower or snow storm now has a name? ..............What a joke. “
Slightly off topic but it’s the same with snow storms. The slightest flurry is positively orgasmic to these guys.
Snow? In December? Astonishing !!!!!!!!
.
Sensationalism sells.
In many cases, the failed predictions were an extension of journalists’ standard talking points – pro-ObamaCare, anti-conservative and sky-is-falling global warming worries.Thanks PROCON.
Yep, never waste a good crisis right? And if there isn’t one, well, create one! ..............................Theres always gotta be drama.
Perfect way to phrase it... Hello New York Times...
Yep, basically, the “predictions” were merely the administration’s positions. No big surprise they all turned out to be wrong, and most here on FR could have “predicted” the outcome of most of them, excepting only how badly wrong the hurricane prediction was (though not that it wouldn’t be wrong).
It’s great to see someone actually looking back and comparing reality with predictions.
I hope this gets some distribution.
And don’t forget the always popular bi-annual press predictions:
1. Chocolate prices will soar because the chocolate harvest has failed.
2. Coffee prices will soar because the coffee harvest has failed.
3. Sun spot activity will massively disrupt satellite and terrestrial communications.
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