It’s Only A Drill, Really
Author: admin
“There were reports on police scanners of shots being fired, but those reports could not immediately be confirmed,” according to CNN on Twitter.
Then why put it out there for public consumption?
But on Friday, the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, that’s what CNN did.
When the static cleared, it was confirmed that the scanner traffic and activity on the Potomac River were part of a Coast Guard drill near the Pentagon where President Obama had taken part in a 9/11 ceremony. And for many hours after CNN’s action, media outlets and bloggers, and the feds dissected the cable network’s reporting.
But the forensic exercise has come with what one might call self-serving add-ons that in some instances bury the real teaching opportunities here for CNN (and its peers) — Getting it right vs. being first — and for the Coast Guard — commonsense.
Another question: Why haven’t the media outlets that followed CNN’s lead been taken to task. One might say that being first has its perks and pitfalls.
As Washington Post Columnist Dana Millbank wrote: “The media industrial complex began to turn its gears. Seven minutes after the CNN report, the Reuters news service issued a bulletin on its wire: ‘Coast Guard Fired on Suspicious Boat on Potomac River in Central Washington, DC.–CNN.’ ”
Fox News also joined in.
Kevin Allocca’s post on TVNEWSER reports the sequence of events in a clear-headed way.
Points to ponder in Allocca’s post: Criticism from media peers and White House press secretary Robert Gibbs about getting the “facts” right. Do they really want to keep score on that?
CNN made a mistake. One can imagine the discussion about whether to go with the report. But it was a mistake that because of the immediacy of TV and the interactivity of the Internet moves at break-neck speed. It takes on a life of its own, with ramifications such as interrupting traffic at nearby Reagan National airport.
But it was a mistake other media outlets have made or will make in the rush to be first. How many times have news anchors said: “We can’t confirm this, but we’re going to tell you anyway.” That’s the teaching lesson here for CNN and its peers.
During this writer’s time in the newsroom, there were discussions on whether to treat police scanner traffic as fact. In many cases, what is heard on the scanner is solid. But there are too many cases where you can’t believe your ears; the initial call was unfounded or a drill was taking place.
And that brings the focus to the Coast Guard, which has slipped under the radar.
During the course of a year, a media organization will receive press releases about the local nuclear power plant testing its emergency alert system or state and local agencies planning a full-scale disaster drill.
They do this so the public won’t be alarmed, the media won’t be alarmed, and in the hope of coverage of its drill.
The Coast Guard might want to take note, or just scrap all drills on Sept. 11.
Tags: CNN, Coast Guard, media
