Our news reporting seems to be the latest failure in a series of tragedies from the hurricane(s). While I have been sceptical of mass media for some time, the reports from Katrina seem to have hit new (low) standards in (in)accuracy, hype, shrillness, and echo chamber. The Los Angeles Times is hardly a right-wing paper, but reports on what almost seems like the child's game of "telephone," where one child whispers a sentence in the ear of another who tells it to another child and so on around a big circle. The original sentence is lost in the game as it goes around. The Times-Picayune, a New Orleans regional paper has similar refutals. We've also seen TV interviews that turned out completely falsified.
The problem here isn't the bad facts, unchecked rumors, or false stories. They can be almost expected of such a mess and the news reporting system. The problem is that opinions are formed based on such lousy stories and even if the press is later corrected, the opinions formed are already in play. The truth has no chance of catching up with the initial impressions.
I've said it before, but getting facts before forming an opinion is important. Relying on the press for facts is a mistake.
8 comments:
I agree with Einfahrt completely (go figure, it's designed to get BarleyMan excited!).
Turn tonque 'n cheek mode on...
Maybe the Chineese have it right.
China said Sunday it is imposing new regulations to control content on its news Web sites and will allow the posting of only "healthy and civilized" news. Only "healthy and civilized news and information that is beneficial to the improvement of the quality of the nation, beneficial to its economic development and conducive to social progress" will be allowed, Xinhua said.
Check it all out at:
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20050925/D8CRHGP83.html
Turn tonque 'n cheek mode off...
Well. Shutting up the free press is hardly the idea. But maybe the New York Times has got it (partially) right. The now charge for their opinion columnists (Krugman, Dowd, et al) In effect they've put up a wall. I choose to treat it as a 'wall of silence' and not pay.
But it doesn't fix the bad nes reporting, just the columnists.
Uhhh....
Don't forget blaming the idiot s who strated/spread the rumors in the first place, the people who were in the SuperDome.
Seemslike a foolish statement, but we all saw the hyperbole that was being whipped around in live/recorded interviews with supposed witnesses to the atrocities. Not saying it is not the press' fault, just that even FEMA showed up with a truck tohaul away the bodies, because they did not check thier facts either.
I just want to know what they did with all the bodies...
Can we start charging for Rsh Limbaugh? and Ann Coutler? Please?
Amusing that Einfahrt refers to a news article pointing out reporting errors.
Who's to say this article is not erroneous?
In general charging for opinion columnists, including opinion pundits such as Coulter, Limbaugh; is a good way to destroy them. Their only currency is the supposition that their opinions matter because so many read/listen to them. If they are charged for, the value proposition drops in proportion to their audience.
Yes, it is amusing to use news articles to refute news articles. You run into the "this statement is a lie" problem.
Einfahrt...
I do have to disagree on this story.. Here's some examples on what the Government Officials were saying. When a person in power starts babbling, it's going to give even more credence to the mis information.....
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- On September 1, with desperate Hurricane Katrina evacuees crammed into the convention center, Police Chief Eddie Compass reported: "We have individuals who are getting raped; we have individuals who are getting beaten."
Five days later, he told Oprah Winfrey that babies were being raped.
On the same show, Mayor Ray Nagin warned: "They have people standing out there, have been in that frickin' Superdome for five days watching dead bodies, watching hooligans killing people, raping people."
It's easy to point at the media, and blame them.. but really, I think the N.O. Leaders did more than the media ever could, to add the histeria. Imagine if that was Bush up there.. heck, I'd even believe him.... ;-)
Um.
Barleyman,
If they attributed it as "The Chief says "xxx"" then thats one thing, but it remains the duty of reporters to get two credible sources for any factual assertion; to fact-check, to verify. This looks like a repeat of a repeat, of a repeat - with no attempt to verify; in fact each repeat somewhat further exagerating the original asserion. Reporting facts is a duty of the press isn't it? Finding and reporting from idiots, shaken victims, or inaccurate sources is not is it?
I think the Chief of Police, and corraborated by the mayor would indicate a high degree of confirmation.
Of course we have Presidents decalring victorey ina war we are still mired in 2 years later... or is it 3?
Maybe Bush should check his facts.. ;-)
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