Posted on 01/04/2006 3:57:30 AM PST by Erik Latranyi
Once again, the MSM (mainstream media)has exposed its complete lack of credibility, decency, morality and integrity.
The story this morning of the trapped West Virginia miners is just another example of how our primary sources of information cannot be trusted.
Let's face facts, folks....even here at FR, we get our information from the MSM. However, by assembling many sources and then testing those sources against the combined experiences of those on this forum, we determine whether a particular story passes the smell test.
However, in order to separate the wheat from the chaff, we must still have some faith in some of the sources of stories we read. Unfortunately, that faith is continually shaken by the exposing of media bias, sloppiness, immorality, etc.
What appears to have happened this morning with the trapped miners story is that some members of the media were in the vicinity of the command post when the radio call from the mine came back that the miners were found.
It was from that single thread of information that the story appeared to break out that the miners were all found alive. Even the governor, who stated he had to ask his security detail what was going on , was not aware of the breaking story that all 12 remaining miners were found alive. You see, the governor was in the church with the families. A single family member received a phone call from someone watching the news that it is was being reported that all 12 remaining miners were found alive. That family member announced the news to the others in the church and then the bells started ringing.
The media will hide behind the "unconfirmed report" label that was ignored. The media will refuse to take responsibility (most are liberals after all) for toying with the lives and hearts of the families of those who were lost. The media will refuse to acknowledge any need to show concern for those waiting nearly 2 days for news about their loved ones, but will talk about the need to be first with the story.
Just like Hurricane Katrina reports about rapes and murders and 10,000 dead, the media has demonstrated that facts do not matter.
Just like on 9-11, when the media was reporting at least 10,000 dead in the twin towers.
Just like, just like, just like..........
So, let us use this space to compile a list of the media mistakes. Let us make this the news and let us refer back to this thread whenever a news story breaks and our "trusted" sources get it wrong----again.
I sent a email..
Please add incorrect and dubious statements by corporate officials - who frankly after they've had a few drinks will admit that they don't give a crap - vis-a-vis this:
TALLMANSVILLE, West Virginia -- Grief and anger replaced jubilation early Wednesday as mine officials announced that, despite earlier reports, only one of 13 trapped miners had survived a West Virginia mining accident.
Late Tuesday, celebrations erupted as word spread among family members that 12 miners had been found alive at the Sago Mine.
Hours later, Ben Hatfield, president and CEO of the mine company, told miners' loved ones that a "miscommunication" had resulted in an error: all but one of the missing miners was dead.
On reviewing the main thread, during the period between the reports they were alive and the report that they were dead, there were actually people on it happily gloating that the families in the church celebrating DIDN'T get the good news from the media but from other sources.
I give the media no slack- yet think of this. Reporters standing in front of the church..hearing the church bells ringing and watching families come out shouting with joy.."They're alive". Reporters know the families are briefed first- it would be weird if they DIDN'T report what they were SEEING.
What's pretty hard to grasp- is how this error could have been perpetrated for 3 hours. At SOME point- didn't it occur to someone- reporter- to get this info confirmed?
I applaud Hemmer simply because he took responsibility- and actually said he was ashamed. It was clearly a reflective moment- he was thinking out loud-if you will- saying how awful he felt being a part of leading the families on.
"On reviewing the main thread, during the period between the reports they were alive and the report that they were dead, there were actually people on it happily gloating that the families in the church celebrating DIDN'T get the good news from the media but from other sources."
Exactly!
To hang the media alone on this is just a irresponsable as the false story. It was a mistake in communication and the media had no choice, but to report what was told to the church. How could the media not report what was happening right there in front of them?
Their first clue should have been that there was NO press release from the mine officials. Didn't they suspect that was odd? Why didn't anyone question why they had heard nothing official?
As the celebrating began, Geraldo showed up!!!!
Do we know really that no one died in the time from when they were found to when they were brought out of the mine?
Fox link is down right now. But I would be grateful if someone could clear this up for me.
The response I usually hear is "well, that's different."
I also find it difficult to believe that the fairly significant number of people on FR who were going beyond merely "Thank God" to "Hah Hah! This will show nonbelievers the power of prayer and that God exists!", if they had been in the media and outside the celebrating church, would have suddenly turned into Mr. Reporter Skeptic and been trying to downplay reports of the survival of the miners.
"Swarthy men of middle eastern extraction in running suits have been seen fleeing from the area of the Edward P. Murrah Federal building explosion!"
What appears to have happened is that some reporters were hanging around the command center and overheard the radio communications with the rescue workers.
The rescue workers reported that "we found them", but nothing about their condition. The reporters ran with it from that point that the miners were found alive.
My guess which is as good as anyones right now, is that someone thought they heard they are checking THE vital signs when what they said we are checking FOR vital signs.
I know that's what you want to believe but I really don't see much evidence of the above; if you go back and read the main thread it seems clear that the first indication the media had they were alive was the celebration in the church. The origin of the story was completely independent of the media. The people in the church didn't find out the miners were "alive" from the media.
News gathering is not a perfect science. And sometimes, the media is given dis-information from multiple sources in order to divert their trail.
I'm not an apologist for the media. But we have been conditioned, especially by the right, to rail against the media for all of what ails us.
I listened for an agonizing week to Air America. Funny, but one of their complaints was that the media was not accurately reporting.
The governor annouced nothing. All he said was he was going to check it out.
Mine officials never announced that they were found alive. That is why the media kept running the disclaimer that it was "unconfirmed reports" because nobody in an official capacity would confirm the story.
Sorry, but this is a media creation of running with rumor and unsubstantiated information.
Yeah it's all about you, you SOB.
You do understand the celebration of the families in the church was not based on media info, right?
The governor was in the church with the families when they started cheering. He asked them what was happening and they reported it to him. On his way to the command center to confirm the story, reporters stuck microphones in his face to get a soundbite.
Don't blame the governor. Don't blame mine officials. This is purely a media-created story due to rumor and unsubstantiated information.
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