At this point it's really unclear whom to trust, and I certainly wouldn't take all of the claims in this article at face value. There WERE numerous witnesses of shootings, rapes, and dead bodies. I don't think that the rescue forces watched the TV all that much and based their decisions based on Oprah's reports. The media coverage was poor, but I think blaming it all on the media is just another attempt to shift the blame. IMHO.
Here, for a change, I do not see much of blame shifting. Nobody takes any load of blame off the authorities. But people tend to forget the press is part of the authority now. Time to remind them.
Look at the previous entry too (an article in New York Times).
I don't think a media report about a shooting stops a rescue mission. If it does, then something is VERY wrong. I think both the rescue confusion and the media confusion resulted from incompetence of local authorities. It's true that media tends to run amok if there is a confusion, but this is by no means a source of further real confusion.
That something was very wrong is obvious, isn't it? - yes, but the implication in my sentence was going the other way.
But media tends to be confused — and confusing — on its own. - totally agree. But blaming people's deaths on delays caused by the media coverage is ridiculous. The rescue workers (just like anyone else, for that matter) shouldn't base their plans on media reports. And if they do, it's their fault, not that of the media.
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Look at the previous entry too (an article in New York Times).
the press is part of the authority now
I think both the rescue confusion and the media confusion resulted from incompetence of local authorities. It's true that media tends to run amok if there is a confusion, but this is by no means a source of further real confusion.
Something was very wrong
That something was very wrong is obvious, isn't it?
I think both the rescue confusion and the media confusion resulted from incompetence of local authorities.
I think the issue is bigger, really. Rescue, yes. But media tends to be confused — and confusing — on its own.
Re: Something was very wrong
But media tends to be confused — and confusing — on its own. - totally agree. But blaming people's deaths on delays caused by the media coverage is ridiculous. The rescue workers (just like anyone else, for that matter) shouldn't base their plans on media reports. And if they do, it's their fault, not that of the media.
Re: Something was very wrong
They should not; how about the rest of us?
Re: Something was very wrong
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