Real TV: Bereaved Son of Miner Confronts WV Governor

Today Show/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[Tennessee_Bob]

Always loved it when MSHA dropped in for a visit at Tennessee Coal Company. It was always such a happy time.

[DCPatriot]

This reminds me of the erroneous reporting of raping and pillaging at the New Orleans sports complex during Katrina.

Another example of just how poor the MSM are at doing their thing.

[MEGoody]

I understand the anger of the families, but I wonder if the mine had been closed while safety issues were addressed, would the miners have gotten paid?

[numberonepal]

What I can't understand (I'm no miner) is why these mines were underground rather than a strip mine. All the graphics I've seen show that the mine itself is only 260 ft down, but the shaft is 2 miles or so. Does this mean that the mine is under a mountain?

[mlc9852]

That reminds me of way back when in junior high our social studies class had a member from some union come to speak to the class. All I can remember is my impression that he must be a member of the Mafia - LOL. He was scary.

[Stashiu]

Yes. I wish these so called journalists would stop with the commentary and editorializing. Just give us the facts. We can figure out the truth.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

It seems to me that the media can't be blamed for reporting what they were being told: that 12 miners had survived.

The blame, such as it is, would seem to lie with either the mine or the government officials who prematurely and erroneously informed the families and the media that 12 had survived.

[maryz]

Similarly, a radio talk host in Boston today was crying for more government regulation, citing the reduction in mining deaths since 1900 or so. I couldn't help wondering whether improved technology and such had a great deal more to do with improved safety than gov't regulation.

May not be relevant here, but I seem to recall environmentalists being opposed to the safer forms of mining.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Of course they are crazy. We are currently in an era where people function on pure emotional distress 24 hours a day. You have to keep upping the dosage if you want to get the expected amount of outrage from your junkies.

It's a great deal easier to manipulate a mans emotions than it is to reason him into your camp. And yes, both camps do it, for the simple reason it IS easier. The only down side is you have to ratchet the rhetoric up higher and higher with each episode or you start losing your audience.

Rational people see the tactic for what it is. Rational people aren't the ones targeted however.

[WV Mountain Mama]

Let's hear what the citations were for before we judge. My father has a business that has unnannouced OSHA inspections. The inspector told my father that if he comes back to his boss without any citations, his boss will grill him for not doing his job. It is impossible to not get warnings, citations, etc when getting an inspection.

[auboy]

I can't recall hearing anything about mine safety since the last big mining accident. Now, old media is here to save the day. After the fact.

[Restorer]

Coal mining is inherently a highly dangerous dangerous occupation.

I haven't seen any statistics, but I do know that fatal accidents are in a long-term trend downwards. Partly this is due to fewer men in the mines because of automation, but it is also due to improved safety standards.

But when an accident occurs, the search immediately starts to find out whose "fault" it was, without any serious consideration even being given to the possibility that it wasn't really anybody's fault.

[Mo1]

The blame, such as it is, would seem to lie with either the mine or the government officials who prematurely and erroneously informed the families and the media that 12 had survived

I don't blame the media .. or the officials

It was a snow ball effect from a phone call about the crew being found and that vitals were being check

one thing lead to another and everyone starting rejoicing before anything was confirmed

It was a sad tragic of events

With that said .. I don't like and have never liked the media exploiting family members grief for ratings

[Alberta's Child]

Sounds like the son and/or Lauer are thoroughly ignorant about issues related to mine safety and regulation. When you have an industry like this that is governed by Federal mine safety regulations (which were passed, BTW, in the aftermath of that West Virginia mine disaster in the late 1960s that killed the uncle of the state's current governor), taking the governor to task for mine safety violations is ridiculous.

This is like blaming the governors of Massachusetts and New Jersey for 9/11 because the aircraft took off from airports in Boston and Newark.

[Restorer]

When Micheal Rivero was a poster on FR, he came replete with a suitcase full of conspiracy theories, some of them downright kooky.

But highly entertaining.

[maryz]

But I don't see how this is Manchin's fault

Details still seem to be sketchy, but in some quarters he is be being blamed for running with the original "good news", giving the media a credible source, instead of waiting for the company's confirmation.

From what I gather, he apparently got the news from family members. A report on Fox early this a.m. seemed to suggest there might have been an accidentally intercepted or overheard cellphone call involving the rescue people that may have been misinterpreted.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Coal mining is inherently a highly dangerous dangerous occupation. I haven't seen any statistics, but I do know that fatal accidents are in a long-term trend downwards.

Manchin mentioned the inherently dangerous nature of mining, and also mentioned that the death toll last year was a record low.

[Restorer]

Dangerous, not dangerous dangerous.

[SwankyC]

Huh? Why is it the Governor's fault?

Because the son is a liberal moron without a clue.

[WV Mountain Mama]

My understanding is that someone overheard talking on a squawk box. I am sure the chatter went something like "we found the 12 and are working on them, checking for survivors." The person who overheard, took it upon themselves to call the church. The higher ups didn't get any reports and didn't know what was happening, or where the report that the families got came from. They hadn't heard anything themselves.