January 6, 2006
The recent media debacle in West Virginia surrounding the tragic coal miner story should give us pause to stop and analyze just how quickly we want our news. It needs be first said that there's certainly enough blame to go around in how the coal miner story came to take on a life of its own. Apparently, someone overheard a rescuer's conversation, either misunderstood the discussion or the conversation was erroneous from the start, and quickly spread that to the families anxiously waiting in the nearby church. In an odd turn of events, instead of the people getting their news from the news media, the news media were getting the story from the families.
Fair enough. Sources are sources, no matter if the tables are turned and the news consumers become the news providers. However, it's still incumbent upon the professional news organizations to confirm news before going to air or going to print and not to disseminate mere hearsay.
A popular news outlet slogan, used by many news organizations across the country, goes as follows: First, Fast, and Accurate. Let's look at that a moment. One would gather from the slogan that it is better to be first and fast than it is to be accurate. That's not to pick on any specific news organization but simply to say that the constant pressure from the 24-hour news cycle has produced a shift in priorities.
My talk show is not what you would call a conventional news source. Some of the information on our show comes from callers; hearsay, as I warn my listeners. Before I turn around and report any of that information as fact, I make sure I have secured at least one more, reliable source. To do otherwise is to do a disservice to my audience. I would much rather be accurate than first but in the competitive world of news, that's not always the attitude.
Of course, some of the blame must be placed on the coal company for knowing (how long they knew, we're not sure) that the news of the miners' rescue was not true. Still, the news media had a responsibility to check with the coal company to verify the story. They claim they made attempts but no one would come to the door. Fine. Then, at that point, you have to go on the assumption that the story you heard from the families is not true. You only report it as fact when you have a reliable source to back it up.
So, what is to become of the credibility of the news media? Will this do long-term damage? Only time will tell but these same outlets that reported the rescued miners story as fact need to do some serious soul-searching. They not only have a right to report the news, they have the responsibility to make sure it is accurate. They shun government oversight, and rightfully so, but nothing invites government oversight faster than a colossal screw-up.
Of all the major news stories of the past year I couldn't tell you who broke them. This obsession with being first is more “inside newsroom” bragging rights than it is anything of interest to the public at large. What the public wants is full, comprehensive, and accurate coverage of big news stories.
The old adage in real estate is the three most important things are location, location, and location. Perhaps we'll see a new slogan emerging from one or more of the major news outlets: Accurate, Accurate, and Accurate. If so, we will have turned a major corner. But don't hold your breath.