Watching sausage being made

"They're the hardest working people in America. They're the proudest," Governor Joe Manchin -- nephew of a miner himself -- is telling a Fox News anchor re the coal miners of West Virginia. "However it was misunderstood, whatever was said, from there, it goes like wildfire. I am sure that everyone's intentions were well. We will have a full investigation."

"You wanna believe good news," comments the local Channel 7 Boston news anchor this morning, catching the conscience of the king just before all hell breaks loose as the national media and cable news get set for a day of spinning out of control over the "rollercoaster ride" of late-evening, wee-hour developments in the West Virginia mine-explosion story. We happened to awaken and catch CNN's more-earnest-than-thou Anderson Cooper reveling in the "breaking news" earlier on that 12 of the 13 missing miners had been found alive. But the breaking news turned out to be nothing more than wishful thinking and hysterical rumor. Dozing in and out of consciousness during fitful sleep, we came upon Cooper as Deer in the Headlights a couple of hours later, eyes popping and mouth agape as a sorrowful eyewitness was telling him the families had been "lied to." All but one of the miners -- who is in critical condition --  had been found dead. It was horrible. How could it have happened? Deftly sidestepping his own role in spreading the euphoric rumor that 12 had been found alive, Cooper and his counterparts on MSNBC -- the overripe Rita Cosby -- and Fox News -- some wet-behind-the-ears Anderson Cooper wannabe -- opted for the "blame game."

"Now families are demanding answers after they were first told their loved ones were alive," mouths a morning newscast "anchor." It's being billed as a "miscommunication." Impossible at this point to know what really happened, but piecing together what we heard with our own ears during early-morning press conferences by the International Coal Group Chief Executive Officer Ben Hatfield and the totally awesome Governor Joe Manchin -- who lost his uncle and many friends years ago in a mining accident where 78 died -- and who calmly and heroically resisted Rita Cosby's frenzied efforts to cast blame early and often -- it sounds like someone may have "misinterpreted" overheard conversations between rescuers and the command center, hearing what one wanted to hear -- who could blame anyone for that? The rumor spread, the church bells rang, Anderson Cooper & Co. fanned the fires, and there you were with a community of potential mourners believing in miracles and set up for a horrific letdown.

Update: Instalanche!

Comments

[Earth Sentinel]

This is incredibly macabre news. There seems to have been quite a few underlying problems, with this mine and the industry as a whole that caused this incident.

The greater tragedy is that we still rely on an incredibly dirty fossil fuel to power our lives, when nuclear is both safer and renewable if used properly.

You can find all my reasons for preferring nuclear, as well as commentary about the Chinese coal situation (6500 deaths per year) at Earth Sentinel (http://earthsentinel.com) where you will also find peak oil, renewable energy, and climate change news.

[dadmanly]

I saw the same reversal on Fox. The newscaster who came on with the news "Alert" couldn't get a word in edgewise for 2-3 minutes as the Fox reporter on the ground kept up what could only be described as hysterics.

Not just the jubilant rejoicing of the people he interviewed, but the actual reporter himself. Shrieking, crying out, all emotion and no substantive reporting.

Meanwhile, any question that was actually answered revealed that no one actually knew anything, nor had any miners actually come up out of the mine. All heresay.

Then this am, the network is airing extensive clips about the families being "lied to."

I'm sure it wasn't just Fox that got caught peddling unsubstantiated rumors as fact. But to then turn around and pretend they weren't at least as much (if not more) responsible for the false report, to me that is the height of jounralistic malpractice.

This is the new old Media. Might as well be scripted Soap Opera, or nickleodeon pictures of the damsels tied to the railroad tracks. Just about as accurate.

[Teresa]

It was every news organization that was there... I didn't see any of it on television - I read the story ONLINE at about 12:30 or 1am this morning. It was reported as fact - as if the news media had actually talked to officials of the company for the information.

Now the same news media that was so instrumental in spreading the unfounded stories will be whipping these families up into a frenzy of hatred against the "big bad company". Urging them to sue. It's as predictable as clockwork. (I've said it before Fox News is no better or worse than CNN...)

It has already started. In about 48 hours the true story will be unrecognizable, buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation... just wait and see.

[Teresa]

BTW - Instalanche. *grin*

[Michael]

Its apparent that the media still hasn't learned to do its job--investigate, cross-check, interview, verify and report. Its the exact same outcome as with the Katrina media fiasco--rush to broadcast any and every rumor without any sort of investigative activity, just get it out there breathlessly and stupidly. Then blame someone else and give yourself awards. Pathetic.

They've learned nothing since Katrina, but have we? How about this: don't belive anything you hear from the media. Period.

[Victoria]

the overripe Rita Cosby

Ohhhhhh. Genius.

I think the Anderson Cooper wannabe you refer to, Sissy, is Bill Hemmer -- I coincidentally mentioned him on Althouse, where I got your link.

I was also blogging late late at night, after having fallen to sleep hearing that though one fatality was reported, the other miners were alive.

I make a plea not to politicise this event, even though the press going at Governor Manchin, tried their hardest in the wee hours.

Catastrophe

Almost 12 hours later, and I haven't changed my tune.

God bless all the families involved...

Cheers,
Victoria

[Victoria]

http://futuremd.blogspot.com/2006/01/catastrophe.html

Oops. I see there is no HTML for urls or quoting in the comments.

[andophiroxia]

This angers me. It seems that the media is convienently sidestepping on who really leaked out that bad information. I'm pretty sure it did start somewhere-whether it be an irresponsible reporter to a starstruck employee/official. I think whoever leaked this falsehood should be dealt with, because it wasn't only misinformation that this individual spewed, it was dashing the hopes of loved ones and in the most cruel way.

God Bless the miner's families.