Let’s make sure we put the blame where it belongs here: The nation’s media took an unconfirmed rumor of twelve survivors and made it into the Mining Miracle.
Some random person ran into a church and announced that twelve of the miners had survived. The bells rang. Cheering was heard. And the grapevine cranked into high gear.
Reportedly, a “stray cell phone communication” was overheard and taken by someone to be news that there were twelve survivors. Somehow that made it to the random and still-unidentified person who ran into the church.
And for three to four hours straight, without doing anything resembling journalism, the wires and newspapers and websites and television networks proclaimed the rumor as truth.
Now, the anchors on television ask how such a sudden reversal could have happened. “A stunning development,” said Anderson Cooper, “that I don’t think anyone could have possibly imagined.”
Well, I imagined it.
When the survival report first surfaced, you could tell that not one of these outlets had confirmation. No one did any reporting. No one had the balls to go on the air and say that they would not report the Mining Miracle because they had not heard any official and provable announcement.
It should never have been reported as fact. But they did it anyway.
And now, nowhere in the immediate aftermath of the truth coming out is anyone on the television news taking responsibility for their central role in the breakdown.
Update: The media is backpedalling as hard as they can to evade getting raked for this. To understand how, first we need this paragraph from an earlier CNN story.
A friend of one of the miners told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that a mine official had come out and said, “We got 12 alive!” The friend, who did not give his name, said rescue crews were then going into the mine.”
Just now on CNN, that same Anderson Cooper just retold that story — but with a telling twist. What the network previously relayed as being a “mining official” according to that family member now is being described as “someone from the mine or the mining area.”
Anderson, that’s the sort of distinction you shoujld have been chasing down four hours ago. You press the people who tell you things — yes, even if they are family members of miners in the midst of a trying experience — for clear identifcation of where they got their information.
And then, if you can’t confirm it. You don’t report it as fact. It’s called journalism, Anderson. Not to pick on you, of course. It’s the same everywhere on the news right now.
Backpedal. Cover your ass. But don’t by any means do some reporting. Or take responsibiity.
Update: Also over on CNN, suddenly one of their on-the-spot reporters is recalling all of these details of things that seemed off or not right in the period after she and everyone else parroted the news of survival.
Hey, lady, here’s some news: That’s the sort of shit you’re supposed to report at the time. If you’re going to be spreading unconfirmed rumors, at least also report the things that don’t seem to support the rumor.
What do you people train for? Apparently, for primping and preening for the cameras so you can look cool reporting live from the scene. You’re certainly not training to do your jobs.
Update: In terms newsies will understand: Why did you run — and run hard — with a story based on information from a single anonymous source?
That’s what this boils down to. Every outlet just committed an absolute cardinal journalistic sin.
Update: No escape for the media, after all? Theo’s public editor ends with the press: “But journalists also should be studying what broke down in their rush to report the news.”