Press irresponsibility AFTER the VA Tech Massacre

[Gogar]

I'm setting up this thread "ahead of the curve" so in coming days maybe we can use it to comment on the rampant speculation, conjecture, and wild theories that our country's irresponsible press will throw at us about this tragic incident.

Why? Well, I'm watching Geraldo "At Large" right now, and I can see it coming like an 18-wheeler.

Please share. And although I don't mind a good CCW/gun control debate, we've already got two other VA Tech threads that are going that way, so maybe let's keep that stuff over there.

[nostatic]

if people didn't watch, people like Geraldo would go away.

I haven't watched a single news report today.

[svandamme]

i saw some of it on tv, and turned it off,
looked like a pack of wolves in that press conference,

what do they expect? full ballistics report 1 hour after it happend? this ain't news reporting anymore, news has become a pack of vultures preying on blood...

i'm turning off tv more and more
allready de-programmed MTV and some other BS channels, and there will be more to follow soon...

[red-beard]

I watched about 1/2 hour around lunch time before going back to work. I'll check the website to see if new info comes out. My wife watched multiple talking heads shows through the evening. The only thing that came out of that was the student was identified as a Chinese exchange student.

[on-ramp]

The tv will be turned off today... do yourself a favor and do the same thing.

[lendaddy]

I'm waiting for the ladies from The View™ to chime in, it's a gold mine media outlet.

[cairns]

I don't watch TV news at all anymore but will say the Post weighed in with it's usual fingerpointing "shouldn't the authorities have known this was coming blah blah". They picture they ran on the front page was posted all over the internet yesterday afternoon- couldn't find another picture but had all the time in the world to come up with a critical editorial.

You have to wonder if those arrogant lifesucking SOBs have any idea of the esteem in which they're held. It's hard to think of one I actually like or trust.

[cairns]

BTW here's the Associated Press weighing in with their usual BS. I don't think the bodies are even cold yet. When you see 'stories' like this you have to remember- who's raising the questions in order to make and promote the story?

I can't wait for the usual anti gun BS that will permeate the liberal media over the next few days.....

Questions Raised on Va. Tech Security

Tuesday April 17, 2007 2:46 AM


By HANK KURZ Jr.

Associated Press Writer

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) - On a university campus of 2,600 acres, with more than 26,000 students, ironclad security is not a practical goal. Even so, tough questions swiftly surfaced as to how effectively Virginia Tech authorities responded to Monday's horrific massacre.

Why were campus police so sure the threat was a ``domestic dispute'' contained in one dormitory, when most of the killings occurred two hours later in a classroom building?

Why were they interviewing a ``person of interest'' off campus in regard to the first shootings at the very time the classroom killings were unfolding?

Why was there a lag of more than two hours after the first shootings before an alarm was e-mailed campuswide - around the time the second, more deadly burst of carnage occurred? And more generally, some security experts wondered, was the school's crisis planning and emergency communications system up to the task?

Clearly, something went terribly wrong.

Bombarded with security questions at afternoon and evening news conferences, Virginia Tech President Charles Steger said authorities believed the shooting at the West Ambler Johnston dorm, first reported about 7:15 a.m., was a domestic dispute and thought the gunman had fled the campus after killing two people.

``We had no reason to suspect any other incident was going to occur,'' he said.

The dormitory was locked down immediately after the shooting, Steger said, and a phone bank was activated to alert the resident advisers there so they could go door-to-door warning the 900 students in the dorm. Security guards surrounded the dorm, he said, and others began a sweep across campus.

Asked why he didn't order a lockdown of the entire campus, Steger noted that thousands of nonresident students were arriving for 8 a.m. classes, fanning out across the sprawling campus from their parking spots.

``Where do you lock them down?'' Steger asked.

He said security on campus will be tightened now, but offered no details.

``We obviously can't have an armed guard in front of every classroom every day of the year,'' he said.

Overall, Steger defended the university's response, saying: ``You can only make a decision based on the information you know at that moment in time. You don't have hours to reflect on it.''

Virginia Tech Police Chief Wendell Flinchum said there no surveillance cameras in place that recorded the gunman entering Norris Hall, the classroom building where 31 people were killed. Among the dead was the gunman, who killed himself before police could break through a chained door and reach the second-floor room where the massacre occurred.

Some students were upset that the gunman was able to strike a second time, saying the first notification they got of the shootings came in an e-mail at 9:26 a.m. The e-mail mentioned a ``shooting incident'' at West Amber Johnston, said police were investigating, and asked students to be cautious and contact police about anything suspicious.

Student Maurice Hiller said he went to a 9 a.m. class two buildings away from the engineering building, and no warnings were coming over the outdoor public address system on campus at the time.

``I was troubled with the fact that two hours elapsed from the first shooting,'' said Brant Martel, 23, a junior. ``I just feel they were a little slow on their response.''

But Edmund Henneke, an associate dean of engineering who was in the building where the second round of shootings occurred, said criticism of the authorities' response was unfair.

``We have a huge campus,'' he said. ``You have to close down a small town and you can't close down every way in or out.''

Security experts not connected with Virginia Tech said their immediate questions focused on whether the university had adopted and practiced a plan to handle such dire crises, and whether its system of emergency communications was state-of-the-art.

``It is critical for them to have solid emergency plans in place to deal with crisis situations,'' said Kenneth Trump of National School and Safety Services in Cleveland. ``The key is to have a solid communications component in place to deal with notifying students, parents, faculty, staff and the media whets going on.''

``The most critical element that falls apart in any type of emergency, especially at educational institutions, is often communications,'' Trump said.

University officials acknowledged that crisis communication is a challenge on such a large campus. They said they have been working on creating an alert system that would send text messages to staff and student cell phones, but the system is not yet ready.

Michael Dorn of Safe Havens International in Macon, Ga., which has advised many universities on security measures, said campus emergency plans can be ineffective unless staff and students are trained on how to cooperate.

``They can make the difference between one or two people being victimized and larger numbers,'' Dorn said. ``But it's a lot harder to do that in higher education that in a K-12 school. A lot of higher ed officials don't have the basic things in place that our K-12 schools have.''

It was second time in less than a year that the Virginia Tech campus was closed because of a shooting.

Last August, the opening day of classes was canceled and the campus closed when an escaped jail inmate allegedly killed a hospital guard off campus and fled to the Tech area. A sheriff's deputy involved in the manhunt was killed on a trail just off campus. The accused gunman, William Morva, faces capital murder charges.

As for other crime on campus, Virginia Tech reported just eight arrests for illegal weapons possession from 2003-05, according to statistics posted by the U.S. Department of Education. Flinchum said weapons are not allowed on campus.

[legion]

Keep in mind, what is usually referred to as "hard-hitting" journalism usually boils down to misplacing blame.

[Gene Wilkes]

Made me sick when the "today show" cast showed up on the VT campus to do their morning show! Like their presence there proves something! I almost wish someone would set off some fire crackers behind them so we could see their reactions! Bet they would s**t their pants!

[cairns]

"Hold on Bob- there's a parent of one of the parents, we'll try to ask her a question- (grunt push- camera waves around focuses on crying woman) As a parent this must be a very sad day for you- can you tell our viewers- how do you FEEL? Do you think the authorities could have done anything to prevent this?"

Big guy in suit pushes reporter away escorts woman to car.

Well Bob that parent is obviously too distraught to respond. We'll try to talk to others and get some more insight into this tragedy."

"Thanks Bill, yes a very sad day. We'll get back to you after a short break. Our reporter Bill Nelson reporting from VT on a tragedy that raises many questions. Stay tuned to Channel 9 for more breaking coverage."

"Kelloggs POP Tarts what a way to start the day!!!" "Painful itch of hemmoroidal tissue" Toyota oh what a feeling blah blah balh.

Does that about sum up what you guys are seeing on the "news"?

[nostatic]

dk. why are you guys watching this crap? It's like going to a NASCAR race and expecting them to turn right.

I get all the news I need from google news. I tivo a handful of shows and watch them. That's it. Can't remember the last time I watched local news, and it's probably been since 9/11 that I watched national news.

[cairns]

I usually start with Drudge and go from there all over. You can say it's right wing if you want- I don't see that- but it does link to very major news outlet in the world- and you do have to take Drudge's breaking news with a grain of salt.

The only news I watch on TV is Deutsche Welle. A world view- much more in depth and much less sensational.

[red-beard]

The problem we have is that the "TV news" media has become a for profit operation and a 24 hour news cycle.

[GO DAWG GO]

Cairns,

I used to look at the Drudge Report but it is slimy too. Take a good look at the headings and see how they acually coorelate to the story. Always an irresponsible title claiming something its not. "UFO lands in Whitehouse". Come to find out reading the story some kid threw a football on the WH lawn but it was temporarily unidentified...Always some silly nonsense...I cant stand the news either anymore...Fox news with Hannity and Combs got painful too...Maybe we can get the trueth..has anyone read PROVDA lately...

[cairns]

Robert I agree that's why I say take it (esp. Drudge's developing) with a grain of salt. But where else can you go and link directly to Sydney, Pravda, BBC and virtually everything else???

I did like the $400 Edwards haircut story though.

[}{arlequin]

Originally posted by nostatic
dk. why are you guys watching this crap? It's like going to a NASCAR race and expecting them to turn right.

I get all the news I need from google news. I tivo a handful of shows and watch them. That's it. Can't remember the last time I watched local news, and it's probably been since 9/11 that I watched national news.

+10000

it dawned on me prolly 10 years ago, after watching some kind of 'newsworthy' event ... an hour into the tv being on, i realized i've seen the same clips and the same speeches 4x!!

switched channel, went through a few cycles... same thing! wtf???

apparently when you don't have enough to talk about, you'll just play the same thing over and over again, repeat the same 'lead in' sentences in the studio... and to some who just happened to turn on the tv, it'll feel like you're re-telling it just.for.them.!!!

there is really no need to hear the same thing 5x in one hour. stfu, wait for more developments/info from people involved, then repeat the background but now stress the NEW info....

everything else IS.NOT.NEWS. the word itself has "new" in it... kinda fact that seems to escape their comprehension...

don't get me started on the local news. i'm sorry but a truck overturned on a highway just ISN"T NEWS. it's just an accident. big deal. is it worth wasting my time telling me ab it for 10 minutes??? info won't help those on the road... they don't have tv's!!!... (rap stars don't count)... and i'm home watching, so it doesn't affect me nor inform me of anything newsworthy either.... a radioactive spill?- sure, i want to hear about it... give it an emergency signal even... but a guy w/ a john deere cap overturned his 18-wheeler and blocked 4 lanes w/ building supplies?? keep that $hite out, thanks.

rant over...

btw, lube made a good point in another thread.... i don't need the news, i got you guys. generally a very good crossection of input, opinions, as well as links from most on this board. a lot of it is practically instantaneous. and if not, at least a hellauva sooner than if i went home and turned on the boob tube... not only am i notified of anything going on very quickly, it is followed by a decent discussion as well, as opposed to hearing the SAME THING again 5x....

[Gogar]

I understand the "don't watch" comments. I'm not glued to it, I just have the tv on in the living room when I walk through on breaks from work, and since I started this thread, I feel strangely obligated.

Now they're scrambling to be the first to release names of the dead victims. Whichever network releases more names first wins, I guess.

[Jeff Higgins]

Face it; news folks are in their glory when something like this happens. They sit around for days, weeks, months, years on end waiting for anything really "newsworthy" to happen. Like today's firemen waiting for their next call.

They have grown so accustomed to making their own news (by overstating and over-analyzing every little thing they report) that I believe they have become incapable of showing restraint where restraint is called for. They only see "the story", in some detached manner that precludes them from seeing the real people in the story.

The people they are used to dealing with on a daily basis, the celebrities and public figures that are their partners in fabricating news where none previously existed, are used to their intrusive camera-in-your-face approach. The real people, who are used to living their lives out of the spotlight, are anything but accustomed to that treatment. Our media pundits have no concept of that; capturing the grieving mother in the depths of her despair is a major coup for them. Similar to capturing the emotion of a Super Bowl winning quarterback moments after the final whistle. They feel it "humanizes" the story for their audiences. They could give a ***** how it dehumanizes it for the victims' families. It's all about "the story".

[legion]

Well said Jeff.