Full Version: Communication Breakdown
All across America people woke up to their morning newspapers and television shows with the wonderful news that a miracle had happened. Twelve of the 13 miners trapped in West Virginia had survived and been rescued.
Church bells rang. Family members sick with worry and fear sang and hugged and cheered the good news. Reporters stuck microphones into the happy faces of those who feared they had lost their fathers, sons, brothers and friends.
Then three hours later, the unthinkable happened. The tragic announcement was made that only one of the 13 had survived. All the others had perished. What had once been delirious joy turned into confusion, anger, bitter disappointment and sorrow.
Hopes raised so high had been cruelly crushed to earth.
In one of the most disturbing media performances of its kind in recent years, TV news and many newspapers carried the tragically wrong news late Tuesday and early Wednesday that 12 of 13 trapped coal miners in West Virginia had been found alive and safe. Hours later they had to reverse course.
For hours, starting just before midnight, newspaper reporters and anchors such as MSNBC's Rita Cosby interviewed euphoric loved ones and helped spread the news about the miracle rescue. Newspaper Web sites announced the happy news and many put it into print for Wednesday at deadline. "They're Alive!" screamed the banner headline in the Indianapolis Star. The Boston Globe at least added a qualifier in its banner hed: "12 Miners Reportedly Found Alive."
It was "Dewey Defeats Truman" all over again. Some editors blamed officials, including the governor, for misleading reporters. In reality, rescuers had only confirmed finding 12 miners--and were checking their vital signs. But what leaked out to anxious family members was that 12 were found alive. The coal company, it later admitted, knew that the early reports were false 20 minutes after they started circulating, but did not quickly correct them.
Many editors, at big papers and small, rushed to admit, explain or defend their error, on their Web sites on Wednesday. Sherry Chisenhall, editor of the Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, was on who accepted blame. "If you saw today's printed edition of The Eagle, you saw a front page headline and story that are flat wrong," she wrote. "I'll explain why we (and newspapers across the country) went to press last night with the information we had at the time. But it won't excuse the blunt truth that we violated a basic tenet of journalism today in our printed edition: Report what you know and how you know it."
Scott Libin, a faculty member at the Poynter Institute, wrote today,
"This case reminds us of a lesson we learned, at least in part, from Hurricane Katrina: Even when plausibly reliably sources such as officials pass along information, journalists should press for key details....If we believe that when your mama says she loves you, you should check it out, surely what the mayor or police chief or governor says deserves at least some healthy skepticism and verification. I understand how emotion and adrenaline and deadlines affect performance. That does not excuse us from trying to do better."
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/ne...t_id=1001804359
Who screwed up? Was it the officials of the Sago coal company who had misinterpreted a garbled message from rescuers? Was it family members who being fed erroneous information passed it on to inquisitive reporters?
Or was it the news media? There were complaints of media members intercepting cell phone calls and conversations and rushing to be first to report the good news. Did the desire of news outlets to get the story first and fast take precedence over getting the story RIGHT?
There will be investigations. There will be lawsuits. There will be blame assessed and fannies placed on the hot seat. But the question for debate is:
Who is to blame for getting the story about the rescue of the West Virginia miners wrong?
Church bells rang. Family members sick with worry and fear sang and hugged and cheered the good news. Reporters stuck microphones into the happy faces of those who feared they had lost their fathers, sons, brothers and friends.
Then three hours later, the unthinkable happened. The tragic announcement was made that only one of the 13 had survived. All the others had perished. What had once been delirious joy turned into confusion, anger, bitter disappointment and sorrow.
Hopes raised so high had been cruelly crushed to earth.
In one of the most disturbing media performances of its kind in recent years, TV news and many newspapers carried the tragically wrong news late Tuesday and early Wednesday that 12 of 13 trapped coal miners in West Virginia had been found alive and safe. Hours later they had to reverse course.
For hours, starting just before midnight, newspaper reporters and anchors such as MSNBC's Rita Cosby interviewed euphoric loved ones and helped spread the news about the miracle rescue. Newspaper Web sites announced the happy news and many put it into print for Wednesday at deadline. "They're Alive!" screamed the banner headline in the Indianapolis Star. The Boston Globe at least added a qualifier in its banner hed: "12 Miners Reportedly Found Alive."
It was "Dewey Defeats Truman" all over again. Some editors blamed officials, including the governor, for misleading reporters. In reality, rescuers had only confirmed finding 12 miners--and were checking their vital signs. But what leaked out to anxious family members was that 12 were found alive. The coal company, it later admitted, knew that the early reports were false 20 minutes after they started circulating, but did not quickly correct them.
Many editors, at big papers and small, rushed to admit, explain or defend their error, on their Web sites on Wednesday. Sherry Chisenhall, editor of the Wichita (Kan.) Eagle, was on who accepted blame. "If you saw today's printed edition of The Eagle, you saw a front page headline and story that are flat wrong," she wrote. "I'll explain why we (and newspapers across the country) went to press last night with the information we had at the time. But it won't excuse the blunt truth that we violated a basic tenet of journalism today in our printed edition: Report what you know and how you know it."
Scott Libin, a faculty member at the Poynter Institute, wrote today,
"This case reminds us of a lesson we learned, at least in part, from Hurricane Katrina: Even when plausibly reliably sources such as officials pass along information, journalists should press for key details....If we believe that when your mama says she loves you, you should check it out, surely what the mayor or police chief or governor says deserves at least some healthy skepticism and verification. I understand how emotion and adrenaline and deadlines affect performance. That does not excuse us from trying to do better."
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/ne...t_id=1001804359
Who screwed up? Was it the officials of the Sago coal company who had misinterpreted a garbled message from rescuers? Was it family members who being fed erroneous information passed it on to inquisitive reporters?
Or was it the news media? There were complaints of media members intercepting cell phone calls and conversations and rushing to be first to report the good news. Did the desire of news outlets to get the story first and fast take precedence over getting the story RIGHT?
There will be investigations. There will be lawsuits. There will be blame assessed and fannies placed on the hot seat. But the question for debate is:
Who is to blame for getting the story about the rescue of the West Virginia miners wrong?
I don't know that lawsuits will result. You would have to prove not only damages (I am sure there were emotional damages) but also neglect or intent. An honest mistake (whether by a reporter, a company spokesman, or a family member) is not the basis for a lawsuit.
In this situation, I think the media bears much of the blame. Anderson Cooper interviewed a family member before midnight last night who was ecstatic that 12 of the 13 had been rescued. The only problem was, nobody corroborated the story. It was complete hearsay, reported as fact.
The company was involved in a rescue effort. It is my understanding that they never officially announced any survivors until they announced only the single survivor.
[URL=4. Nobody is to blame. It was a tragic mistake.]Here is an erroneous story by Forbes.com[/URL]
The KC Star has a timeline explaining why they had the headline wrong: Misinformation about miners resulted in early headlines, late-night fixes
The governor, Joe Manchin, certainly seems to have also been caught up in the misinformation trail. The media at that point had still not heard from the company, however, making it a bit hasty to go ahead with the rosy headlines.
In this situation, I think the media bears much of the blame. Anderson Cooper interviewed a family member before midnight last night who was ecstatic that 12 of the 13 had been rescued. The only problem was, nobody corroborated the story. It was complete hearsay, reported as fact.
The company was involved in a rescue effort. It is my understanding that they never officially announced any survivors until they announced only the single survivor.
[URL=4. Nobody is to blame. It was a tragic mistake.]Here is an erroneous story by Forbes.com[/URL]
QUOTE
Twelve of the 13 miners trapped in an explosion in a coal mine were found alive late Tuesday after more than 41 hours underground, turning a community's worst fears to unbridled joy. Family members streamed from the church where they had kept vigil, shouting "Praise the Lord!"
<snip>
The mine's owner, International Coal Group Inc., did not immediately confirm that the 12 other men were alive. A relative at the church said a mine foreman called relatives there, saying the miners had been found.
<snip>
The mine's owner, International Coal Group Inc., did not immediately confirm that the 12 other men were alive. A relative at the church said a mine foreman called relatives there, saying the miners had been found.
The KC Star has a timeline explaining why they had the headline wrong: Misinformation about miners resulted in early headlines, late-night fixes
QUOTE
■ 11:04 p.m. CST: The first edition of The Star went to the presses. In the front page’s original incarnation, the centerpiece was a package about lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s guilty plea. A story about miners’ families waiting for news ran in the upper right column.
At 10:52 p.m., the earliest bulletins had begun moving on the news wires about possible good news. Family members at a church in Tallmansville, W.Va., had begun celebrating information from mine foremen that 12 miners had been found alive, and live television was carrying video of the jubilation. However, there was no confirmation from the mining company or government, so editors decided to continue with the early version of the page.
■ 11:25 p.m.: The Associated Press quoted West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin: “They told us they have 12 alive,” referring to reports from International Coal Group, which owns the mine.
Editors started redesigning the page, ultimately deciding to swap positions of the Abramoff and mine stories.
■ 1:20 a.m.: The first copies of The Star’s Metropolitan edition rolled on the presses, featuring a new centerpiece that pictured two family members reacting to the premature good news.
■ 1:57 a.m.: The Associated Press sent a bulletin stating, “Family members report that 11 of the 12 coal miners who were initially thought to have survived an explosion in a coal mine have died.” Copy editor Amanda Wilkins phoned copy chief Scott Jacobson, who was on his way home for the night. Jacobson called managing editor Steve Shirk to plan for possible changes.
■ 2:16 a.m.: The Associated Press reported that International Coal Group CEO Ben Hatfield said only one miner had survived. Late copy editor Pamela Spencer substituted an updated story from Cox News Service and wrote new headlines and photo captions.
■ 2:42 a.m.: Spencer sent the final version of the Metropolitan edition, this time with the headline “12 of 13 miners found dead,” to the pressroom. About 10 minutes later, the story appeared on KansasCity.com.
At 10:52 p.m., the earliest bulletins had begun moving on the news wires about possible good news. Family members at a church in Tallmansville, W.Va., had begun celebrating information from mine foremen that 12 miners had been found alive, and live television was carrying video of the jubilation. However, there was no confirmation from the mining company or government, so editors decided to continue with the early version of the page.
■ 11:25 p.m.: The Associated Press quoted West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin: “They told us they have 12 alive,” referring to reports from International Coal Group, which owns the mine.
Editors started redesigning the page, ultimately deciding to swap positions of the Abramoff and mine stories.
■ 1:20 a.m.: The first copies of The Star’s Metropolitan edition rolled on the presses, featuring a new centerpiece that pictured two family members reacting to the premature good news.
■ 1:57 a.m.: The Associated Press sent a bulletin stating, “Family members report that 11 of the 12 coal miners who were initially thought to have survived an explosion in a coal mine have died.” Copy editor Amanda Wilkins phoned copy chief Scott Jacobson, who was on his way home for the night. Jacobson called managing editor Steve Shirk to plan for possible changes.
■ 2:16 a.m.: The Associated Press reported that International Coal Group CEO Ben Hatfield said only one miner had survived. Late copy editor Pamela Spencer substituted an updated story from Cox News Service and wrote new headlines and photo captions.
■ 2:42 a.m.: Spencer sent the final version of the Metropolitan edition, this time with the headline “12 of 13 miners found dead,” to the pressroom. About 10 minutes later, the story appeared on KansasCity.com.
The governor, Joe Manchin, certainly seems to have also been caught up in the misinformation trail. The media at that point had still not heard from the company, however, making it a bit hasty to go ahead with the rosy headlines.
I voted that this was a tragic mistake.
While journalists should be careful in checking validity of information, I think this is symptomatic of how the media competes to be first. The public almost demands it.
I saw the rerun of the alternately sobbing and slobbering Rita Cosby, talking in a voice that must be the stained four packs of Camels a day. I really don't like her.
I don't consider Cosby a serious journalist. MSNBC proclaimed her show a hit the first week it was on.
Cosby herself says on her ads, "Were gonna break news, we're gonna make news." It is fine for her to break news, but it is not her job to make news. She did exactly that on her show Wednesday night.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10709611/
This episode was produced by a public that demands instant news delivered by idiots like former Fox girl Rita Cosby.
While journalists should be careful in checking validity of information, I think this is symptomatic of how the media competes to be first. The public almost demands it.
I saw the rerun of the alternately sobbing and slobbering Rita Cosby, talking in a voice that must be the stained four packs of Camels a day. I really don't like her.
I don't consider Cosby a serious journalist. MSNBC proclaimed her show a hit the first week it was on.
Cosby herself says on her ads, "Were gonna break news, we're gonna make news." It is fine for her to break news, but it is not her job to make news. She did exactly that on her show Wednesday night.
QUOTE(Rita Cosby)
First of all, Rick, if I can get you in, what is your reaction? I don‘t know if you just heard the news, but 12 men have just been found alive, 12 of your friends.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10709611/
This episode was produced by a public that demands instant news delivered by idiots like former Fox girl Rita Cosby.
I voted that it was a tragic mistake. I don't think anybody meant to hurt anyone else in their rush to get news, whatever the news was, out before everyone else.
But while I see it as a tragic mistake, I'm with you, nighttimer: I think it's time for CNN, MSNBC, FOX, and all the other guys to re-examine the way they report news, and not continue to just blather on and on for hours of no real news to fit the time slot designated for it. That's part of the problem. The news crews and anchors basically repeat themselves to death before something substantive comes in. Why can't they just follow the regular schedule, then do the time-honored, "We interrupt this program to bring you..." whenever the ACCURATE information becomes available?
That's what bothered me about the reporting on Hurricane Katrina--the endless repetition in lieu of fresh information. Then they all try to scoop each other as if that matters more than accuracy in reporting.
But while I see it as a tragic mistake, I'm with you, nighttimer: I think it's time for CNN, MSNBC, FOX, and all the other guys to re-examine the way they report news, and not continue to just blather on and on for hours of no real news to fit the time slot designated for it. That's part of the problem. The news crews and anchors basically repeat themselves to death before something substantive comes in. Why can't they just follow the regular schedule, then do the time-honored, "We interrupt this program to bring you..." whenever the ACCURATE information becomes available?
That's what bothered me about the reporting on Hurricane Katrina--the endless repetition in lieu of fresh information. Then they all try to scoop each other as if that matters more than accuracy in reporting.
The coal company knew 20 minutes after the mistake that they had got it wrong but took several hours to get the word out. I cannot blame the news media for running a story they would have no reason to suspect was incorrect. It isn't as if Wolf Blitzer could just walk into the mine and see for himself. The media was relying on the same information as everyone else not directly involved with the search would get.
As a wise man once said "Don't kill the messenger".
As a wise man once said "Don't kill the messenger".
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