I know the media wants to get the story out as quick as possible, not because they really care about informing the people but because it is good business. You get the story first and with the most sensationalism and your ratings go up.
But, at what cost? In this day in age of everyone being so quick to point fingers and place blame I just don't see why we can't manage to hold the media accountable for what they broadcast to the masses.
People look to the news media with a sense of trust, probably more than they should at times, and the media has a moral and ethical obligation to provide the best level or reporting they can. And that doesn't just mean the best catch lines, it means accurate.
I know some people saw the link that Katie posted in the Virginia Tech thread...it was to an Asian males Live Journal page and people were speculating on him being the shooter, which he wasn't. What I didn't realize until today was that Geraldo went on air to report this information. He went as far as to show pictures from the page, bang on doors near the guys last known address and more...all after being informed by law enforcement that the man in question was not a suspect.
I think it's sick that we would let the people that we trust to deliver us the news get away with something like this without even a peep. It disgusts me that this person, Wayne Chiang, has had his pictures splashed across the t.v. and internet and has now become tangled up in the whole tragedy that was the Virginia Tech Shooting. He had no involvement with the incident, but now must deal with the stigma, death threats and other things that come along with being labeled a suspect by shoddy reporting.
Here is the video of Geraldo's report...
Geraldo Video
Here is Wayne Chiang's Live Journal page...
Live Journal
And here are some email addresses of interest should anyone else feel the same way I do...
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]