Bad Reporting

[Noclevername]

"Two suspects were captured and one was being sought in nearby woods, officials said. State and local authorities are searching for the suspects with helicopters and dogs. "

Hmm, maybe the ones they caught escaped again...

I did see on "Celebrity Jeopardy" a few years ago a group of news reporters/anchors who finished the first set of questions with two red (negative) scores and a zero. The second set wasn't much better-- only one of them broke a thousand. (And that's CELEBRITY Jeopardy, where they dumb down all the questions.) I remember being utterly unsurprized. And these are the people we get our news from... No wonder they say, "Don't believe everything you see on TV".

[LurchGS]

the occasional typo .. well, I'm with Gillian - it makes me cringe (though I lack her experience in hunting the dratted things). I get over it.

what I very strongly object to is reporting without facts. To pick a huge story from the recent news - Virginia Tech. Reports of weapons used were all over the map. What the heck ever happened to "Rifle" or "Pistol" - it's as though announcing the calibre of the weapon in some way improves the veracity of the story.

Further, on the same incident, the lunatic was referred to as "A Chinese citizen, here on a student visa". Which, we know now, is flat wrong - in both particulars. What ever happened to <i>checking the facts</i>??

Lest we think too fondly of the 'good old days', let us not forget the glory days of American News: Yellow Journalism.

Or the heavily censored news of WWII (achieved with the cooperation of the press).

Or the days of the sentence fragment.

(Sorry, Gillian)

All in all, there is no broadcast news program worth my time. There is almost none on paper, to boot. I think the base problem is that all these organizations have shifted the focus from *news* to market share. Yes, market share is important - without it the organization dies. But accuracy and honesty are being sacrificed on the altar of the almighty quarter, and this is a BAD thing.

Not being a journalist, I do not recall for sure, but aren't there organizations out there that are supposed to self-regulate the industry? I don't see them doing much good on the national level.

As a result, any trust I may have placed in large news organizations in the past is now vested in my dogs. I read 2.. *2* papers - one printed here in the states, one from overseas. For real news, I turn to the internet. The river is a lot wider, but it's also a darnsight deeper.

[NEOWatcher]

...what I very strongly object to is reporting without facts...

Lack of details also points out when the reporter is not interested in facts.

Now, here's an article that takes a person, tied to a controversial topic, and gives almost no facts. Sounds more like buzzword bingo than anything else.
(My intent is to discuss the style of the article, not the topic)Al Gore's green home improvements
The city of Belle Meade, Tennessee, had blocked his application until new rules were approved unanimously late Tuesday,
This is the main topic of the story, but my beef is they never said what the new rules were?
And side topic information has absolutely no detail
33 Panels, what type (water, electric, etc)? What are they capable of? That will tell me if this is a token gesture.
already buys enough energy from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and methane gas to balance 100 percent of his electricity costs
I don't have a clue to what they are saying here (probably the reporter doesn't either). I think it's the use of the word "balance"

[ToSeek]

"Two suspects were captured and one was being sought in nearby woods, officials said. State and local authorities are searching for the suspects with helicopters and dogs. "

Hmm, maybe the ones they caught escaped again...

With a breaking story, often they will just edit the current story to update it, not necessarily making all the associated changes (as when the number of fugitives is reduced to one, and the rest of the article should refer to them in the singular rather than the plural).

[pghnative]

ToSeeked!

<runs to check off item 37 of my list of 50 things to do before I die...>

[NEOWatcher]

ToSeeked!

<runs to check off item 37 of my list of 50 things to do before I die...>

ToSeeked, ToSeek, in the same thread on the same page.
Could be a candidate for ToSeek cubed, no wonder your list went down.

[pghnative]

ToSeeked, ToSeek, in the same thread on the same page.

though only if you view 40 posts/page

Could be a candidate for ToSeek cubed,

Would that be a ThreeSeek ?

[Peter Wilson]

ToSeeked!

<runs to check off item 37 of my list of 50 things to do before I die...>

ToSeeked!


(Some things are acceptable to check off the list in virtual-mode )

[NEOWatcher]

Shoe left at accident scene helps police

HOLIDAY, Florida (AP) -- A Cinderella story it isn't. There is a mysterious shoe and a fitting to find its rightful owner. There's even a wedding. But, at least for the shoe's alleged owner, there is no happily ever after.

From what I see, the only reason for this story is the flowery references to Cinderella.

The fact that he returned to the scene all bloody looking like he was in an accident, and the van was registered to his address, wasn't enough to convict him?

[Fazor]

The fact that he returned to the scene all bloody looking like he was in an accident, and the van was registered to his address, wasn't enough to convict him? [/B]

Circumstansial evidence. Now, finding a man that just "happens" to wear a particular shoe size, now that's fool-proof detective work! I mean, how many men have the same size shoe?

[pghnative]

Not to mention the infamous Bruno Magli shoe incident from many years back that helped to convict someone in the court of public opinion, but did little in the actual court.

[LurchGS]

Shoe left at accident scene helps police


From what I see, the only reason for this story is the flowery references to Cinderella.

The fact that he returned to the scene all bloody looking like he was in an accident, and the van was registered to his address, wasn't enough to convict him? [/b]

Nope - it wouldn't be - and shouldn't be. Maybe he was mugged a mile away and his van stolen.

However, the described "clues" do give the police probable cause (as if any more were needed). They may opt to conduct DNA tests on the shoe - if no other DNA is found, it's pretty conclusive that he was wearing it when it came off the fleeing man's foot.

[NEOWatcher]

Nope - it wouldn't be - and shouldn't be. Maybe he was mugged a mile away and his van stolen.

But the shoe was only one thing in a series of clues. If the shoe were the only clue (as the reporter makes it sound), then we would have the same issue of "my shoes were in there when it was stolen".

[mugaliens]

Circumstansial evidence. Now, finding a man that just "happens" to wear a particular shoe size, now that's fool-proof detective work! I mean, how many men have the same size shoe?

Are clothing, including our shoes, are full of our DNA. Still, a smart lawyer would be able to argue that only proves that the man actually wore the shoe, at one time, not necessarily at the time the crime was committed.

[Fazor]

Are clothing, including our shoes, are full of our DNA.

You seem to be taking my post too seriously. Also you seem to be working under the false tv-land assumption that DNA evidence is easy, quick, and cheap to examine. The testing facilities have huge back logs of evidence to examine, and a simple leaving the scene of an accident case would be put way behind the murder and rape evidence. I'd be willing to bet that they won't even bother to try and secure DNA evidence in a case like this. If there's blood on the shoe they might match the blood type to the driver, a much cheaper, faster, and simlper test. But DNA? Only if David Caruso is heading the investigation.

[Jens]

Not bad reporting, but bad headline writing:

In the Chicago Tribune, there an article about the Democratic candidate debate.

The headline reads:

"Democratics criticize Iraq in 1rst debate"

I guess the headline writer was trying to save space, but it sounds like the candidates criticized the country, whereas in fact they were criticizing the US administration's policy on Iraq.

This kind of thing seems to happen a lot.

[Pinemarten]

When I was working in a national park there was a two page article on poaching seasonally dropped antlers. SEVEN times it referred to a 'cash' of antlers monitored to nab some poachers. I stopped cringing after #4 and started counting.
I guess it passed the spell check, but you think someone would have taken English before journalism.

Then there are the meteorologists on the weather that say "It will be 'twice' as cold next week."
Don't they study Kelvin in 'weather school'?

[Jens]

When I was working in a national park there was a two page article on poaching seasonally dropped antlers. SEVEN times it referred to a 'cash' of antlers monitored to nab some poachers. I stopped cringing after #4 and started counting.

Sorry for being off topic, but it reminds of the joke about an old Russian woman who allowed a rebellious Czechoslovakian soldier to hide in her house, but the man was discovered, and the woman was arrested. What was the crime: "caching a bad Czech."

[Jens]

And just now, I noticed a new headline on Yahoo, that says that a 95-year old woman is going to become the "oldest college graduate". I think they mean the "oldest new college graduate," because there must be a number of other people over the age of 95 who are in fact college graduates.

[Pinemarten]

This is going to be a long thread.

If we just cite the Flagstaff Herald, that should limt it to 10,000 posts.

[Gillianren]

Sorry for being off topic, but it reminds of the joke about an old Russian woman who allowed a rebellious Czechoslovakian soldier to hide in her house, but the man was discovered, and the woman was arrested. What was the crime: "caching a bad Czech."

I read once, but cannot confirm, that when Martina Navartilova defected, she asked the embassy if they cached Czechs. (It's possible but by no means certain that it was intended by the source in which I read it--I can't remember where--to be a joke, of course.)

The Olympian here in Olympia (oddly enough) once referred to people "pouring" over a map. I've mentioned this before. It happened when I was still a student in college. But I still twitch every time I think about it.

[NEOWatcher]

she asked the embassy if they cached Czechs.

Jens too...
As a person of Czech descent*, I am suprised I never heard this one (maybe just not remembered).
* I was going to use decent, but I figured some wouldn't get the joke.

The Olympian here in Olympia (oddly enough) once referred to people "pouring" over a map.

But; that's why mine has coffee stains.

[Fazor]

Guess it's better than saying they poor over the maps.

[Peter Wilson]

...Then there are the meteorologists on the weather that say "It will be 'twice' as cold next week."

Then there was the evening news story, delivered by a wide-eyed, bubble-headed blond about a "7-ton air conditioner that fell through a roof today..."

That would be an A/C rated at 7-tons (able to freeze 7 tons of ice a day, or something like that). It probably weighed less than 1/2-ton. But "7 tons falling through the roof" made a much better story

[Fazor]

Then there was the evening news story, delivered by a wide-eyed, bubble-headed blond about a "7-ton air conditioner that fell through a roof today..."

That would be an A/C rated at 7-tons (able to freeze 7 tons of ice a day, or something like that). It probably weighed less than 1/2-ton. But "7 tons falling through the roof" made a much better story

I'm supprised they didn't add "possibly related to terrorist actions" just to bump up viewership another notch :-P

[Peter Wilson]

They did:

"Investigators determined it was due to a structural failure, not an act of terrorism."

I was so relieved!

[LurchGS]

I never heard that Czech joke.. I heard it as there being this Czech spy in the Soviet Union.. he was discovered and nearly caught. All ways out of the city were heavily patrolled. So he cleverly shut himself up in a box and mailed himself back home. His last message to his controller: The Czech is in the Mail

[Fazor]

Okay, I know this is being discussed in the General Science section, but I have not read the thread (I know, tsk. tsk.). But this post isn't about the topic of the article, rather the article itself. I think it's a brilliant example of media sensationalism and irrationalism.

So without here's the article, regarding the US's lack of Bees

BELTSVILLE, Maryland (AP) -- Unless someone or something stops it soon, the mysterious killer that is wiping out many of America's honeybees could have a devastating effect on the country's dinner plate, perhaps even reducing its people to a glorified bread-and-water diet.

(my bold)

In fact, about one-third of the human diet comes from insect-pollinated plants, and the honeybee is responsible for 80 percent of that pollination, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

So apparently this reported either thinks we're all stupid, and will respond to the "oh no! Not bread and water" line, or he thinks that the other 2/3rds of our diet is bread and water. I'm not sure which, but I don't agree with either.

Granted the effect on fruit/flowering crops will have an impact on feed for livestock and etc., but I think it's being alarmist to say the we'll be left with a "glorified bread and water" diet. So I can have my steak, potatos, and green beans...if that's glorified bread and water then I'm more than okay with that.

Again, this isn't about the content of the article. I do think the bee shortage is a real problem. But come on, what happened to reporting facts? not flowery, over-exaggerated imagery.

[Peter Wilson]

... But come on, what happened to reporting facts?

I don't know...that was before my time

[Maksutov]

Sorry for being off topic, but it reminds of the joke about an old Russian woman who allowed a rebellious Czechoslovakian soldier to hide in her house, but the man was discovered, and the woman was arrested. What was the crime: "caching a bad Czech."

I've heard that one. This version had the man escaping capture by jumping out a window and hitting an first-story awning, in which case there no injury, since the Czech bounced.