Don’t believe everything you see on TV - read in the paper.

[Teamcasa]

We have all heard the phrase “Don’t believe everything you see on TV or read in the newspaper.”
I recently had a conversation with someone about an article I had read in the newspaper where he was the focus of the article. He told me the article had only a shred of truth but most of the purported facts were in error.

I’ve read magazine articles (in the past) about me and my race car, all were mostly inaccurate. One of the more popular auto magazines never even bothered to interview me prior to publication! They did interview the photographer though.

Given the CSI show the other night and all of the stupid things they did and say on the show, prompts me to ask the following.

If, after reading/seeing a news story that you were personally familiar with, was it accurate? If not, what does that say about all of the news stories? Are they all wrong or is this an anomaly?

 

[UnderSeaBumbleBee]

I think getting most of the facts wrong are the norm. I was at a rally where Reagan spoke in the early 80's in Detroit. Outside were 200-300 protestors--maybe not even that many. On the local news that night they said there were thousands and by the time it made the national news there were 10's of thousands and you couldn't get through the streets. Whether you liked the man or not that had nothing to do with the actual head count of people. There were only a few hundred and they were pretty quiet.

My friend was camping with her family this past weekend and her neice fell backwards into the fire and was badly burned. The news account said it was 2nd and 3rd degree burns over more than 50% of her body. While she is hurt and will have a long recovery process it was some how only 1st and 2nd degree burns on her butt and hands in a limited area. I don't know how it wasn't worse--but is wasn't.


Anytime I have been involved with something or had first hand knowledge--most of the facts seem to be wrong on the news.

 

[300bar]

Well a few years ago I lost a good friend (diving)
When he was found the papers said that his oxygen tanks were empty.
No interview ever,just stupid reporter bull.
Never seen a reporter checking their story.

 

[Hank49]

I read about a lady giving birth to a fish and it was 100% accurate.

 

[Skull]

Beware the government -media complex ... when senators and congress-persons try to have individual citizens of this country silenced and have their livelyhoods taken away from them by ranting about such behavior on the floors of congress...be very concerned. Regardless of your politics be very concerned that the media doesn't defend the individual citizens.

 

[Hockeynut]

This thread reminds me of a case several years back when a woman and child were found headless in a roadside ditch. The only thing that was certain was the fact they were not caucasian. Several months go by and no one hears anything until our hero the reporter writes a big article about how no one cares because they were not white. The police dropped the whole investigation, etc, etc. About a week later , the cops announce that they know exactly who the perp is and exactly where he is (in pakistan) and we'll probably never get him extradited to Minnesota. Here the cops were busting their butts to get this guy, but Mr reporter doesn't bother to investigate a little and find out what is going on. He didn't even have the decency to publish a retraction or apology. What a wuss.

 

[drbill]

Back in the late 90's when I was in charge of the Catalina Conservancy's ecological restoration programs, including the removal (by hunting) of feral goats and pigs, the media carried quite a number of stories and articles about the effort thanks to the PR machines of several "animal rights" groups (some 11 members of these groups threatened my life if we didn't stop).

We had put together fact sheets about the feral animals, the damage they did to the native ecosystems and species of Catalina (which was our charge to protect), etc. Rarely did the media find any of this factual information of any relevance to the stories they wove. They preferred the sensationalism fostered by the animal rights non-sense (led by one guy who wore leather shoes... what happened to the rights of that poor cow?).

 

[Teamcasa]

The above posts makes my point.

How can we trust what we see/read without a touch of cynicism

 

[tedtim]

... what happened to the rights of that poor cow?).

Medium rare, quite good as I recall.

Single issue concentration; fails to see the bigger picture.

 

[Wayward Son]

They won't just get it wrong, they'll outright lie. I worked for a company that was the target of a TV news report. They dug out file footage they had from about 10 years prior to that & showed them attempting to "interview" a man who no longer worked there. He'd moved to HI (long way from TN, no?) several years prior to this report.

Since they couldn't get anyone to talk to them, they pulled out video from years before & made up the story they wanted.

FWIW, this was CBS news in Nashville, TN.