"Floating" on the bottom of the pool - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

MS Fowler · #1 07-23-2012, 10:39 AM

Local news item. A 10 year old boy is crediting with helping save the life of a girl he noticed ( and this is exactly what every news report has said) "floating face-down on the bottom of the pool".
Kudos to the 10 year old.
But how can so many news readers say that she was floating on the bottom of the pool and not stop to ask---if "floating" is the best work. Seems to me that she had sunk to the bottom of the pool.
These are the people we depend upon to deliver news so that we can be informed citizens and vote intelligently, and debate the actions of our various governments. Words have specific meanings.
Sorry for the rant, but its just another display of the stupidity of the media--and its non-partisan.

dynalow · #2 07-23-2012, 10:53 AM

I agree 100%. Especially when the the topic is military related.
But is "work" the best word?

Brian Carlton · #3 07-23-2012, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

These are the people we depend upon to deliver news so that we can be informed citizens and vote intelligently, and debate the actions of our various governments. Words have specific meanings.

You might depend upon them, but I'm fully convinced that they are incapable of investigation and unable to write or speak properly.

I've previously mentioned that they are factually incorrect to a significant degree on any topic for which I have inside knowledge.

It's easy to make the conclusion that they are factually incorrect on nearly everything. Let's face it...........it's a business...........and being wrong has no penalty in such a business. The only penalty is if they are LATE with the news...........then, people might go elsewhere in the future.

Accuracy and proper writing skills hardly matter anymore.

You've clearly realized that stupidity is absolutely rampant in this society today. In fact, it's impossible to escape it. My current favorite expression is "R_____S RULE". You'll have to fill in the blanks, which I'm sure you can do.

t walgamuth · #4 07-23-2012, 02:31 PM

To me the amazing thing is how often reporters get it right.

MS Fowler · #5 07-23-2012, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

To me the amazing thing is how often reporters get it right.

Isn't that their role? Getting it right should be a non-story--I expect that. But, on technical matters, agenda triumphs truth.

Did the crazy in Colorado use a fully automatic weapon, or semi automatic? My understanding is that it was semi. Then why the "assault rifle" description being used?

tbomachines · #6 07-23-2012, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

Isn't that their role? Getting it right should be a non-story--I expect that. But, on technical matters, agenda triumphs truth.

Did the crazy in Colorado use a fully automatic weapon, or semi automatic? My understanding is that it was semi. Then why the "assault rifle" description being used?

Technically it should be "assault weapon" for the semiauto, many of which are assault rifles that have been made as a semi version for sale. Its a pretty common association - before criticizing, confirm that it wasn't called an "assault rifle" in a press release. Likewise, I haven't seen it in recent reports, just when all the details were fuzzy.

Reuters reports today:

Quote:

He was armed with a Smith & Wesson M&P .223 semi-automatic rifle, similar to an AR-15 assault rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and a Glock .40-caliber handgun. Police found an additional Glock .40-caliber handgun in his car.

Colorado mourns dead in cinema massacre as Obama heads to scene - Yahoo! News

t walgamuth · #7 07-23-2012, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

Isn't that their role? Getting it right should be a non-story--I expect that. But, on technical matters, agenda triumphs truth.

Did the crazy in Colorado use a fully automatic weapon, or semi automatic? My understanding is that it was semi. Then why the "assault rifle" description being used?

When one considers how often eyewitness reports conflict I think it is still amazing that the reporters get it right as much as they do.

Of course when they make a mistake about something we understand and know about it jumps out at us.

Brian Carlton · #8 07-23-2012, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

To me the amazing thing is how often reporters get it right.

..........and you know they got it right.............because?????????????

MS Fowler · #9 07-23-2012, 04:30 PM

As Brian ( I think) has said, based on how much is in error of stuff we KNOW, one can only infer that most of what gets reported is false.

Brian Carlton · #10 07-23-2012, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

As Brian ( I think) has said, based on how much is in error of stuff we KNOW, one can only infer that most of what gets reported is false.

Some of us..........names withheld to protect the guilty..........like to believe most of what they hear and read.

Clearly, they remain unconvinced of the ineptitude of the media and the complete lack of any desire for accuracy.

tbomachines · #11 07-23-2012, 04:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

Some of us..........names withheld to protect the guilty..........like to believe most of what they hear and read.

Clearly, they remain unconvinced of the ineptitude of the media and the complete lack of any desire for accuracy.

Its simply a matter of being critical in reading everying. I am as critical of news media as I am posts on OD here, where I often play devil's advocate (like now) on here, but also source news from various sites and check where they got their info. Sounds like a lot of work but it isn't - its typically apparent in the story or stories.

Knowing a number of people in journalism and having worked with them as well, I can say that there is no "lack of desire for accuracy", these people wish to be employed like any other, and there is no shortage of those seeking employment. If they are continually inaccurate they'll get canned like any other person underperforming at their position. A lot of what they report is fed to them in press releases (why I asked above about the Colorado case), which are NOT written by journalists--and that is a huge source of misinformation. People who are taken to be experts on the subject will release something with a colloquialism in it for example, and get all sorts of crap back from people splitting hairs. Assault-rifle vs. assault-weapon is a good example, chances are that was from a press release and the police just made a common error. The press knows no better than an official source. The reason I am critical of these MSM threads is that people are simply leery of any single source of information, and always have been for quite some time. These people believe there is some sort of large conspiracy and all news outlets are in on it when in reality there are of course corporate pressures, but no big conspiracy especially when you get down to the local level.

This thread is no exception. From what I can understand, the 10 year old said the girl was floating at the bottom of the pool instead of suspended in homeostasis or whatever somewhat-more-correct term might be desired--and thus the news reports. MS are you really criticizing the quote of a 10 year old?

Furthermore, it is the news reporter/journalist's responsibility to write clearly and easily for people to understand--last time I wrote for media it was a 5th grade level for the public and on a commercial/corporate level we maintain 5th grade as well. Yes, being accurate is part of their job and they are incorrect at some rate but there is so so much more going into any given report than just "the facts, ma'am". News is entertainment, surveillance, etc.

Also when I searched "floating face-down on the bottom of the pool" (the direct quote from OP...appears not to be factually correct, imagine that) to check the sourcing the only result is peachparts. Hmm. A link might be helpful.

MTI · #12 07-23-2012, 05:12 PM

floating face down at the bottom of the Salvation Army's pool on Monday

tbomachines · #13 07-23-2012, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTI

floating face down at the bottom of the Salvation Army's pool on Monday

Thanks!

Quote:

Carter Spicer tells the Daily Times of Salisbury that he noticed a 6-year-old girl floating face-down at the bottom of the Salvation Army's pool on Monday.

Looks like MS should be sending Carter Spicer a strongly worded but grammatically correct letter.

MS Fowler · #14 07-23-2012, 06:03 PM

My first line said " kudos to the 10 year old" He did exactly the right thing. His parents obviously are raising him with a decent set of values.

My beef has been with the news reporting. Every report, whether on our "standard" radio news/information station, or CBS, or Fox all used that same "floating face-down on the bottom of the pool"--not as a quote from the 10 year old, but as a statement of the situation.

Face it--You know I'm right.

MTI · #15 07-23-2012, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

My beef has been with the news reporting. Every report, whether on our "standard" radio news/information station, or CBS, or Fox all used that same "floating face-down on the bottom of the pool"--not as a quote from the 10 year old, but as a statement of the situation.

Face it--You know I'm right.

Isn't it just a local story that's been picked up by other media outlets verbatim? There are roughly seven or eight of these reports on the web for this incident and they all reference the original report for the quote. The Baltimore Sun or any of the tv stations did not send a reporter or have anyone call to interview anyone.