TVSquad

Everybody is running to be the first with a scoop, no matter if it's verified. If they ultimately get it wrong, nobody cares anymore, there's another headline. It's disgusting, yet not new.

There should be penalties or fines to dissuade networks from relaying a rumor as a fact. The only thing is: how could this go along freedom of press?

... hmmm interesting nugget of reflexion... especially when we see what they do with their freedom.

Reply

You're right. The news agencies are all in such a hurry to be first, that they often miss the truth. It's all a part of the instant society we live in. Can't wait for anything. Want it now, now, now. It's a shame really. Those poor families thought for a couple of hours that their loved ones were alive and now the pain is made that much worse (if possible.)

Reply

God. How freaking awful. I was watching CNN last night, too, and yeah, they really ran with the story; but to be fair to the news networks, even non-reporters ran with the news--most of the CNN reporters said they had gotten the information from family members, who had immediately begun ringing the church bells. They also--at least by the time I went to bed last night, around 1:30ish AM EST--weren't reporting the news as official, either, and it would have been really hard for them to ignore that most of the families were celebrating (at that point, someone had told the families that the miners were going to come to the church to meet them!). While CNN certainly disseminated the incorrect information quickly, maybe too quickly, I think--from what I know at this point--that it's unfair to blame the networks for causing pain to the families, because the families had gotten their incorrect information from somewhere else.

Reply

It's not only the news channels. Both the New York Times and Newsday had it on their front pages this morning.

Reply

Anderson Cooper was the first guy on the news channels to report that the initial reports were wrong. Look it up. This lady and her kids came out and told him. Fox had already moved to showing a Brit Hume rerun. I happened to be up at the time.



So mentioning Anderson Cooper as one of the more misleading reporters is unfair...at least the bloke was up at 3am reporting, unlike the others...

Reply

The papers probably went to the presses before the information had been corrected.

Reply

I was watching CNN when the news "broke." Yes, they threw in the caveat that the news about finding the 12 alive was a "report," they didn't seem to try to confirm that report with a reliable source. They just ran off to find some good images of people hugging and crying. Why didn't they go to the mining company or the MSHA for the offical word early on?

Reply

I saw Anderson's live report also. He reported news via a "witness" that was not even a family or friend member let alone any kind of official. IMO in his quest for "the news" he just continued the same ole practice..."be first".

Reply

So mentioning Anderson Cooper as one of the more misleading reporters is unfair... Bob Sassone wrote that it wasn't a knock against Cooper and that all the reporters do it. He just happened to mention him because that's who he was watching at the time. It could have been written about any of the reporters on any of the channels.

Reply

can i sue the networks for making me think i am crazy? i saw the news last night that the 12 were alive too, to hear on the radio this morning that they werent. then i started thinking man i dont know why i thought the news said they were alive. thought i had dreamt it or something. then i wondered why would i dream that, this story isnt THAT important to me. class action anyone?

Reply

I remember seeing last night that at least one family member said that he found out that the miners were alive from CNN (then the interviewer interrupted that he was "watching the right network", which seemed a little inappropriate at the time). So CNN and their reporting was certainly responsible to some extent. This poor reporting could have been avoided if CNN had checked with the mine rescue officials or simply tagged on a warning that the news was unconfirmed. I think it was irresponsible that CNN never mentioned from whom they obtained the initial news that the miners were alive. Also, saying that "at least [Cooper] was up at 3am reporting" is actually identifying part of the problem with 24-hour news networks that we've been discussing here. In the fight for ratings and to be the first to break a story, journalistic errors are being committed.

Reply

CNN did mention that they had gotten the report from family members more than once. Everyone had the same misinformation--some of the family members are saying that the mine company specifically told them the miners were alive (which may have been the best information -they- had at the time, or they may have rushed to give the families good news when they had been waiting for so long with nothing). Hatfield said today that he had waited (rightly or wrongly) to correct the information. I saw that bit where the family member was telling the reporter he'd gotten the news from CNN, too--but the family member made it a point of telling the reporter that he'd heard about it from CNN; it's not like the reporter dragged it out of him. We'll find out who got what where as this all unfolds, but it seems likely to me that even if the news crews hadn't been there, it would have happened the same way.

Reply

I Think Anderson Cooper did a great job, he said

serveral times once the news broke that they were alive, that this was not a offical report from the coal mine but from the families. I think he did a great job. So lay off.

Reply

I do not think that 24 hr news channels were to blame for this. Yes the whole country and the rest of the world began to think that these miners were alive, but even if the media had not been there at all, the miners familys would have still heard good news when there really was none. The familys deserve answers about why they were allowed to believe this wrong information for so long. When your a kid your told that seeing someone doing something wrong and not stopping it is almost as bad as doing something wrong in the first place, I guess these mine officals didn't get that lesson.

Reply

Here's what Anderson Cooper has to say about it

Reply

Sorry, last post was supposed to include a link.



>>Here's what Anderson Cooper has to say about it http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/04/btsc.cooper/index.html

Reply

I think the people I am most po'd with are the mine operators. Why in the world did they wait over two freakin' HOURS to correct this misinformation? It seems that they knew the truth within minutes of the false reports coming out, yet they continued to allow the jubilation and joyful hysteria snowball and expand. Why didn't they quickly step up and say, "Wait a sec folks, this isn't necessarily true."? No doubt there was a lot of irresponsible journalism going on to help spread all of the misinformation, but if the mine company had stepped forward quickly and decisively, most of that false joy and hope could have been avoided.

Reply

I think CNN should be commended but so should the woman and her children for breaking the news as they fled the church. They didn't have to tell what happened as Anderson said "Come Here" What's wrong. They could have let everyone else in the Nation find out when they found out. Instead she gave correct information of what really happened inside that church. I have a family member that perished. Her reports were accurate and were much appreciated since we could not tell what happened at the time.

Alex
Buckhannon, WV

Reply