jgunning Wrote:
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> Paul,
>
> My criticism of the medias' lack of accuracy comes
> from watching them report it badly since 1978. I
> was a military, then airline pilot, since that
> time. I can only shake my head at the desire to
> sensationalize and the tendency to go with the "if
> it bleeds, it leads" method of reporting. I was a
> media rep for the Airline Pilots Association and
> was trained to speak to the media. Most of the
> time, facts that could have been verified with one
> phone call to the proper people were never checked
> before publication or broadcast. I can only guess
> the reason the call was never made was they didn't
> really care if it was correct.
>
> Following an accident where people are killed or
> injured, those that have any involvement are going
> to be traumatized. Do you really think that is the
> time to have a reporter with a deadline and no
> investment in the outcome questioning the
> engineer/pilot/crewmember? You may be thinking "I
> would want to tell what I know". If so, you likely
> have never had any involvement in such a serious
> incident. If for no other reason than to protect
> the legal rights of those involved, talking to a
> reporter so he can get a news story is a stupid
> and dangerous idea. There is a proper time when
> that can be done. If that doesn't happen to suit a
> news deadline is simply not important.
>
> Many accidents are not at all what they seem at
> first look. When the facts are gathered and
> emotions died down is the proper time to talk and
> tell what you know. There is no attempt to hide
> anything, just to protect those involved from
> incrimination and unfair treatment.
jgunning,
I also have been in my line of work, journalism, since 1978, and I have a fair amount of experience in reporting on rail and air accidents, big and small, and the resulting reports that are issued weeks or months later. I agree that some operators and crew members aren't in a mental shape to speak with a reporter immediately afterward. Mot probably don't have anything to hide, but some engineers do text on their cells and some pilots don't keep track of where they are. Meanwhile, there is a legitimate public interest in finding out that a plane crashed or a train derailed. So we talk to responders, railroad PR people, witnesses, passengers, government regulators and people who know at lot about the industry or situation involved. Do they all get it right? Do the Journalists all get it right? Nope, But not caring if the reported facts are right? You're entitled to your opinion from your vantage point, but it's not one I share.
And responding to Doug, an awful lot of people in the news business do care about accuracy. Selling ads and air time is important, just as getting customers to ship freight is to a railroad. And profit isn't a dirty word to the folks that own my employer. But like safety is a concern to railroads, accuracy means a lot in my business.
I try to refrain from making blanket statements about groups that include individuals who have ticked me off. I urge others to do the same.
Cheers,
Paul
