When The News Isn’t True
What is it with the news this week? It seems like for every story I read yesterday, today I’m reading the actual, correct account of what happened, and it is drastically different than the news that broke. As in, not even the same story.
The obvious example is the news surrounding the disappearance of the Air France jet that went missing over the Atlantic. Earlier this week, the headlines were all about the airplane seat, oil slick and three miles of debris that marked the spot of the crash. Tuesday, an AP article quoted Brazilian defense minister Nelson Jobim saying, “I can confirm that the five kilometers of debris are those of the Air France plane.”
Today’s headlines, however, are quite different. As the Washington Post reports, French officials say the debris was not from the missing jet, there is still no sign of the plane, nor do they have any clue as to what happened.
Then there’s the story of David Carradine, who was first reportedly found hanging in a closet with his hands tied, which is now said to be at least partially untrue.
The Air France situation, in particular, reminds me of the Sago Mine incident, which was arguably one of the worst disasters and biggest public relations guffaws in recent history. Major media outlets worldwide reported that 12 survivors had been found in the collapsed mine when, in fact, the 12 had died leaving only one survivor.
So what’s happening that’s causing such gross inaccuracies to make major headline news? For one thing, news is provided and reported by humans. We make mistakes. But in the case of Sago Mine and Air France, the whole world is watching, waiting, and grieving over human errors.
I also I chalk it up, in large part, to our 24-hour news cycle and thirst for every gory detail, delivered in real-time. When the focus is on one news story that has no real update for several hours – or even days – even the smallest piece of information from the most insignificant source is amplified.
In many cases, it also seems as though the trusted, well-respected news sources are ill advised. Let this serve as a reminder to corporate communications and PR teams – if you don’t know the answer, don’t make it up. Especially in a crisis.
