The Condescending Media...

I have a typical routine when I wake up in the mornings during the week. I usually get up around 6:30 and by the time I am finished getting ready the Today show is coming on. I try to catch the first 5 minutes of this show so I can be aware if there are any breaking news stories that may have happened overnight or anything from the previous day that I may have missed. This past week I find myself growing more and more upset with the Matt Lauer's and Meridith Videra's of the world though.

As anyone with a television knows by now there was a tragedy that happened on Monday up in West Virginia when an explosion occurred in the Upper Big Branch mine. The first thing I saw Tuesday morning when the Today show came on was a family who had lost 3 members in this event. The interview went something as follows.

Meridith: Welcome to the show and I would like to express my deepest sympathies to you and your family.

Wife of miner: Thank you

Meridith: It has been reported that Massey Energy had over a bajillion safety violations in this mine in the past year. How does it make you feel to know you lost your husband in this sensless tragedy.

Wife: (tearing up) We are still holding out hope that some of the family may be alive.

Meredith: Hmmm....yes we are all hoping the same. Please tell us a little about the work environment where you live. Are there really any other jobs to be had besides working in the mines?

Wife: No not really, it is a way of life around here.

Meredith: Your poor people, we have you in our prayers.

I may be paraphrasing a little, but that was the tone of the interview. Vilify the energy companies and take pity (while looking down on) the mining community. I am not trying to take up for the energy companies really, but I don't like to see the media use these tragedies as a springboard to take pot shots at a time like this only to pursue their anti energy agenda.

A coworker of mine from the area up there said that he was watching one of the cable news outlets on Monday night and they were in such a hurry to get a Google Earth rendering of the event, that they put a flyby of the wrong mine on their channel. Not only was it the wrong mine, but it wasn't even in the same county. There was a time when media representatives were held accountable for mistakes. It seems anymore that they just make up the facts as they go and nobody is ever called on the carpet for it.

Switching gears a little, there was an report out yesterday that Patrick Patterson a junior at the University of Kentucky, had decided that he was going to enter the NBA draft. The funny thing is that this was all news to Patterson. His mom started getting texts when the news story broke congratulating her and her son for his decision. She was extremely upset, because she and her son had planned to sit down this week and make the decision together. There is no doubt in my mind that whoever reported that story didn't check his facts at all in a mad rush to get the story out before the competition. There is also little doubt in my mind that this reporter won't even get a slap on the wrist for his shoddy journalism.

The moral of the story: Anyone can be a journalist these days. Just post rumors as fact to get the scoop ahead of everyone else. If you are right great, if you are wrong no big deal. As long as you bat over .500 everything will be fine.

Rant over.

Till next time,

IPod
Artist: John Mayer
Album: Battle Studies