Main Stream Media Rumor Reporting

While I am disgusted with the actions of the Connecticut shooter yesterday. I am also frustrated and angry with the media for its response. I remember a time when I went to main stream media for news, yesterday main stream media showed it is truly a rumor mill.

I first read a headline about the shooting mid-morning. I didn't read the article just the headline of a shooter at an elementary school. A friend mentioned children were confirmed dead over lunch, so I took and other look at the news to find a jumble of conflicting information. Again I ignored the news until late afternoon. Then I devoured 3 or 4 articles to find a long list of bad reporting that had occurred through out the day.

One article contradicted itself saying the shooter killed his mother at home and then went to the school and killed his mother. An early report said the shooter was the father of a child at the school. Then there was the confusion over the name of the shooter and the number of shooters. Were their two shooters, which brother was the shooter, etc. etc.

Even this morning I am reading a single article from the Associated Press that says in one paragraph that the rifle was left in the car, and then later says the rifle was taken into the school. This tells me that 24 hours later, the Associated Press hasn't bothered to fact check the article or even edit it for consistency. Not only is twitter and face book full of rumors, but so is the main stream media.

What I want from the press are the facts, as they are known. Not passing rumors along as fast as they can be typed up. Be honest about what you know and what isn't known. And finally watch this video from 2009 that Jay Rosen commented on last July about the problems with how the news report these events. Jay Rosen's Post and a direct link to the video on Youtube. It contains some strong language.

Now go hug your loved ones.