Media screws up again....

[missioncontrol]

I happened to catch news report about the minors claiming 12 of them to be alive around 12:00 A.M.....

3:00 A.M. they report back that there was only one survivor....

I really feel sorry for those families and friends who were lied to about this....

[Bones]

Well this is what happens when you hire people like muss.

[ChadTower]

Why do people talk about The Media like it's one company?  It's thousands and thousands of individuals doing individual tasks.

That said, as late as two hours ago, CNN.com was saying they were alive... I was surprised to see this post saying they're dead, actually.

[fredster]

Yep. It sounds like it was a mistake by the people taking the phone call, not the "media".  Even the governor reported it because that's what he had heard from his internal sources.

Really really sad.  I'm sure those families are hurt, but everybody was hoping for good news.

[Zakk]

I happened to catch news report about the minors claiming 12 of them to be alive around 12:00 A.M.....

3:00 A.M. they report back that there was only one survivor....

I really feel sorry for those families and friends who were lied to about this....

Some young people died? 

Seriously, this is the first I've heard of this, is there a link?  I've always thought that would be one of the most horrible ways to die (if there are indeed good ways to die).

[ChadTower]

Well, the mistake by the media is inaccurate reporting.

[RetroJames]

Local paper (AJC) still sitting in the vending boxes downtown. Headline reads: "Miracle in the Mines!"

doh - we forgot to stop the presses

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Yeah, I went to bed last night to headlines like "Miracle in the Mine", and awoke to "Horror Underground"...wtf?

They way I look at it is, sure someone on the ground fubbed up, but damn...the executives of the mining company knew for at least three hours after the initial rumor spread that "12 miners found alive" simply wasn't true. Isn't the job of the "investigative journalists" to, ya' know, investigate...and simply ask if this is true?

My impression from various reports so far is that the company execs sat in the back room of the church, while the families celebrated last night, knowing full-well the news was grim. Couldn't Geraldo,  Anderson Cooper, or any one of a billion other journos be bothered to pull themselves from the front of the camera and simply ask a damn question? 

These idiots get payed for this kind of horrible reporting?


mrC

[ChadTower]

Yeah, I went to bed last night to headlines like "Miracle in the Mine", and awoke to "Horror Underground"...wtf?

Those Miracle stories were still there past 8am this morning.

The execs sat in the back room not wanting to tell the families their loved ones were dead until they knew they were dead.  Now that they didn't know they were alive, how bad would it have been to make that mistake a second time?

[mr.Curmudgeon]

It would have been mitigated somewhat had they said what any competent person would have said, "we have not confirmed any number of victims or survivors."

Whoever let this go just wasn't acting responsibly. Aren't mining companies prepared to deal with these sorts of things? Is not like it's never happened before. This mine alone had 273 "significant" safety violations in the last two years.




mrC

[ChadTower]

It would have been mitigated somewhat had they said what any competent person would have said, "we have not confirmed any number of victims or survivors."

But by then it is too late.  Someone had already said "We have 12 survivors".  To come out and say "we have not confirmed anything" is pretty much saying the same as "they're probably still dead" at this point.

Whoever let this go just wasn't acting responsibly. Aren't mining companies prepared to deal with these sorts of things? Is not like it's never happened before. This mine alone had 273 "significant" safety violations in the last two years.

Maybe the state regulatory board had issued sanctions and made resolutions.




mrC

[missioncontrol]

did the media ever say they were sorry....

I know the mayor did

[ChadTower]

The Media is not sorry.

[missioncontrol]

I wonder what the headlines were the next day for the papers that were allready printed with 12 survived headline.......

[ChadTower]

No mention, my local paper had "12 found alive miracle" on the front page, then the next day, no mention.

[missioncontrol]

anyything in the little corections area

[ChadTower]

Nope.  This morning ABC was talking about it, playing the rescue workers' communication tapes and blaming the issue on them. 

Nevermind that they weren't talking to the media nor did anyone actually say "I have confirmation that 12 are alive".  Just stuff like "They might be alive in there" or "no, don't think they're dead".

[JackTucky]

I hate how TV news isn't really about the news, it's about reaction to the news.  Cue any shooting story in Louisville:

5 sec, "21 year old man shot dead at 1500 block of xyz"
30 secs, "video of grieved family members falling all over themselves, hysterical"
30 secs, "---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- yeah I seen it, they shouldn't have shot him, his gun didn't have no bullets"

Why do victims friends and family feel compelled to grieve outdoors, in front of the cameras?  It's almost like  even though they are distraught, they shouldn't miss a chance to be on channel 11.

You can see in some cases in the mining tragedy that couples walk right by the cameras and go into the church, and other examples where they GIVE interviews how upset they are.

Go home, or go inside, and help each other out.  Stop dancing in front of the news.

Art

[daywane]

Lexington Herald had a large add about the problem
time frames and all
everything pointed to AP press
1:30 all safe
3:30 all dead
to late to get the papers off press, most were allready out.
I think they apologized even

[ChadTower]

My local paper carried an LA Times article about the media mistake.  Basically, the article went and blamed the rescue workers, THE FAMILIES, and anyone except the Media itself.

They described the scene where the word that the miners were dead got out of the church.  A family member comes out crying and a CNN reporter immediately runs up to them for a comment.  The woman says "they're all dead, they're dead" and the reporter immediately starts hammering her.  "Where did you get this info?  What proof do you have?  Why hasn't a statement been made?"  And eventually has to be separated from the woman.

The woman is grieving her lost loved one(s) and all this guy wants to do is yell at her.  It's unbelievable how callous and insensitive these guys really are... you'd think at least on some level the reporter would think "you mean they're really not alive?  Crap, they're dead, that's a bad thing"  rather than "how fast can I get this story out and make myself famous".

[Nailz]

Why do victims friends and family feel compelled to grieve outdoors, in front of the cameras?

[DrewKaree]

It's simple.  The Jerry Springer-ification (how's THAT for a dictionary entry?) of modern culture has helped to foster the "If it bleeds, it leads" attitude and desensitization towards dealing with tragedies.

Cronkite just about breaks down bawling when Kennedy is shot.  Nowadays, there'd probably be fistfights to be the one to break that story, and they'd look at a fellow newscaster like they're a sucker for being unable to stop from showing any emotion.

[JackTucky]

As for people walking up to the cameras, people grieve in different ways, some want to talk to no one, others are angry as well and need everyone to know it, it's a gut level reaction when a loved one dies, you have no idea what you are going to do.

Thanks for being mr sensitive.  This is all of america, as Drew points out.  Everyone wants to be on TV, even if it's a catastrophe in their lives.  Ever watch the morning shows?  Their are dolts who get up at 5 am to hold up a sign on GMA saying Hi gammy.

I pray that you never lose anyone  in a catastophe

Thanks.  I won't be on TV.

Art

[Dartful Dodger]

Why do victims friends and family feel compelled to grieve outdoors, in front of the cameras?