Sick leave

I had up a small post late last night that turned out to be a cruel, miscommunicated non-fact spread, ultimately, by the media, which I discovered after a poor night of sleep. Spread all over the internet was a story that claimed that 12 miners had survived. I myself have been sitting on pins and needles since I first heard these miners were trapped. So when I read it on numerous web sites that they were alive I was really happy. Waking this morning my hubby told me the story was all a bunch of bull. That the media really messed up on this one. Boy, isn't that an understatement. According to this article, they had 'real facts', interviews with the survivors loved ones. In reality, only one miner survived and is in critical condition. The others were found resting in peace.

I am very deflated by this news mostly for the families of these poor miners, but the rest of me is very disappointed in the media for what they have led millions of people to believe was a miracle. I can't imagine what relatives of these miners must be feeling. I don't often expect much from the media but in an instance like this, getting the facts straight and double checking before plastering this story of 'jubilation' all over America, wouldn't one think that would be important? I guess not, afterall, they're only writing to the masses. And it does deal with the emotions of the human spirit so what do they care, all that matters is breaking the story.

I have a husband who is a reporter. He takes great care to do his research over and over and to make sure that the news he is about to report is accurate. Sometimes he sits on the story for a week or a couple of days, has sleepless nights....he came home yesterday telling me that another newspaper that doesn't cover his beat is doing reporting on some things in his area and naming false members of committees, getting facts all wrong and taking it from the mouths of babes and running with it. Not an ounce of research, just hearsay, is this not what causes false reporting? Is this not what could ultimately hurt people if others aren't careful? I worked in the newspaper field for about a year and a half. It is a job that requires great accuracy, research, and an unbiased opinion is what I learned. No matter how much I didn't like something that I heard at a City Council meeting I had to put aside that bias and write fair and balanced articles period. Of course that doesn't make friends but that is not the point of working in the media field.

Too much is based on polls and popularity these days and it has caused some serious dysfunction for our country.

Anyway, I am pretty sick right now, I will be taking a few days to re-coop. I have many sick daycare kids and the bug has finally decided to bite me in the tootie. I thought I would feel better today but no such luck, in fact I feel worse! I hope to return to add to our France journey but we will see.

Stay healthy everyone and forgive my irritably-sick induced- griping.