Posted on 01/04/2006 3:57:30 AM PST by Erik Latranyi
Awful- it's unimaginable what the families are going through...God be with them all.
I read it. I'm not running around blaming anyone. I simply stated in my original post (which actually defends the media and opposes the opinion of the original poster of the thread) that they reported what the governor announced. That's what the article I read said. Maybe the governor is backtracking now along with the media.
Doesn't really matter. It's a horrible tragedy indeed.
I listened to this all night and you're wrong to imply that the MSM was "given" anything by an official source. I listened mostly to Anderson "cannibals in New Orleans" Cooper and his breathless report that the 12 miners were alive came from an interview with a family member. That family member said "someone just said they're all alive. The governor said 'miracles do happen.'" Cooper went with that saying "the governor has just told the families that the miners were all found alive." Which was absolutely wrong and absolutely NOT what the governor had said.
Cooper later went with another family member rushing out of the church when the real news was delivered by official sources, repeating and emphasizing her comments about people rushing the company spokesmen and fists flying (neither of which apparently happened).
The entire criticism leveled by the old media at blogs is that "real reporters" have editors and don't make mistakes, don't put out false information. If that were true then none of this would have happened. Cooper (and Shep Smith) are nothing but paid bloggers with bigger megaphones. There's far more editorial control exercised on FR than on CNN.
From what little I saw you can't blame the media for the erroreous info put out. When the family, friends, neighbors, officials etc are saying that there were 12 alive then what's the media to do? Say no way Jose..... that isn't true?.
You can fault the media for many things but not on this one, imo.
You would think a family memember would be in the know. In addtion, how long did other family memebers and friends inside the church believe it from reports from the mine.
There's lots that we can take the MSM to task for. This doesn't appear to be one of them.
(ONLY incompetence?...) I would think that the consequences of this should warrant anything that the MSM reports, be viewed with a jaundiced eye and put on hold for, at least, a 24 hour period until they are through fighting for being 'number one' in "BREAKING NEWS".
I loved this: Anderson "cannibals in New Orleans" Cooper
I have to agree....the media was taken by surprise last night when the church bells started to ring....they rushed back to the church to be told by relatives and friends that the miners were alive......
"That is the "out" that the MSM is using in this. I suggest it was irresponsible to report information without an official source."
I don't give a rats ass what was told to me by the media. What is really important here is what was said to those people in the church. The family members are the ones who count here-not us. Someone/a foreman called a family member and it started from there.
What was the media supposed to tell us- Nothing? That's crap! They saw what was going on in that church and reported it. They wouldn't have a job otherwise.
Yes, they could have stressed "unconfirmed", but not to report what was going on would have been irresponsible too.
Back in the 70's and 80's, I had the same happen.
I know how hard we tried to verify, but sometimes you couldn't. Plus, you've got to remember, so much of this is extemporaneous and to remember all the little nits of "family members" sometimes gets lost in trying to make sure you get the information out, as concise and understandable as possible in the window given.
There will be plenty of time later for recriminations, but for right now it appears that it was a human reaction to a human tragedy. I think everyone is just trying to burn off adrenaline with anger. Let's just keep the surviving miner in our prayers. He's going to need them.
The media is not to blame here, IMO.
I was awake and watched it all happen.
Family members ran from the church to the reporters telling them that an "announcement" was made in the church that the men were alive.
Even Geraldo kept asking "who told you, who told you?"
Then the church bells began to chime...
Well that would depend who the information came from. Was the information directly from the Gov or the owner of the company? We all wanted to believe they were alive including the mean spirited mainstream media.
Frankly the primary news source should have been 100 percent sure before they ran with it for 3 hours straight. But it was good ratings having the families all happy.
I can not give the media a pass on this one. It smells similar to Gore won.
"There's lots that we can take the MSM to task for. This doesn't appear to be one of them."
I'm with you.
To blame the media alone in this manner is the same as those who blame Bush for everything.
I'm just waiting to hear or see someone post:
"The MSM don't care about COAL MINERS!"
Mark my word it will happen. LOL
You always hear that after tragedies such as this that many involved take their own lives. He truly needs our prayers as do all the other miners at this company and the rescue workers.
I saw the first report about midnight and told my wife I would not be getting too excited until I see them being brought out by the rescuers. It's a long way from finding them to having them safely on the surface and out of harm's way. All of the reporting I saw consisted of talking to, and with, family members who seemed to be parroting what they had heard from other family members.
All it took was one guy to hear one sound at the bottom of that mine to spark the hope that all were alive. The MSM indicts itself in many ways, but this is a case where all concerned acted out of hope. Sure further verification was needed, but human nature is not that patient.
There has been a lot of criticism directed at the media, the governor, and the company officials on this thread. At this point in time, I'm inclined to believe that the original source of the incorrect information was just some moron with a cell phone who was somehow involved in the search/rescue operation.
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