[joesbucks]

I believe in this case, the MSM only reported what was given to them and probably withheld any additional information until the families had been notified otherwise. Sometimes it's a fine balance that is often lost here.

[Reform4Bush]

I agree. They are covering an unfolding story, and you see things as they occur. It is a problem though, and you saw it play out in the newspapers that are being delivered with the wrong story, and all the services that parroted one another with unconfirmed info. I sort of have to draw some squiggly line of seperation in assessing guilt for something like this.

[saveliberty]

I think that you are right. Someone gave information based on assumptions of calls overheard.

[Phsstpok]

I believe in this case, the MSM only reported what was given to them and probably withheld any additional information until the families had been notified otherwise.

I listened to this all night and you're wrong to imply that the MSM was "given" anything by an official source. I listened mostly to Anderson "cannibals in New Orleans" Cooper and his breathless report that the 12 miners were alive came from an interview with a family member. That family member said "someone just said they're all alive. The governor said 'miracles do happen.'" Cooper went with that saying "the governor has just told the families that the miners were all found alive." Which was absolutely wrong and absolutely NOT what the governor had said.

Cooper later went with another family member rushing out of the church when the real news was delivered by official sources, repeating and emphasizing her comments about people rushing the company spokesmen and fists flying (neither of which apparently happened).

The entire criticism leveled by the old media at blogs is that "real reporters" have editors and don't make mistakes, don't put out false information. If that were true then none of this would have happened. Cooper (and Shep Smith) are nothing but paid bloggers with bigger megaphones. There's far more editorial control exercised on FR than on CNN.

[jwpjr]

re: the MSM only reported what was given to them

The standard up until a few years ago was that any fact had to be independently verified, from a source that was considered reliable. That does not seem to be the case here. In retrospect, the report should have been that families are saying they had been informed. It was reported as fact, even though there was never anyone with any official standing being cited as the source of the reports.

I spent lot of years in radio news and can can't count the number of times the AP or UPI would call with a story and ask if we could independently confirm the information. If the answer was 'yes' then they would insist on having the contact information for confirmation.

They are all so concerned with being first these days, or avoiding being 'scooped' that the factual part of fast, first and factual has been dropped.