Author Topic: No bias in news media (or, why NBC News sucks) (Read 468 times)

gofaster · « **on:** August 16, 2004, 04:44:35 PM »

Got this in my weekly AvWeb update:

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The news media took a lashing from GA last week, in a turnabout that ended with two NBC-TV reporters under arrest and GA advocacy groups in an uproar. The two reporters, "Middle-Eastern-looking" men working undercover, went to St. Louis Downtown Airport on Wednesday and asked about chartering a helicopter. (Recall last week's warning that helicopters may be the next object of terrorists' desires.) They were trying to find out whether anybody was paying any attention to the "Security Alert" that warned of terrorist interest in helicopters. The reporters showed driver's licenses from two different states as their I.D., and tried to pay with cash. The FBO staff stalled the pair and called police. Officers arrested the two men after a search of their bags turned up knives, various weapons ... and box cutters. NBC News that night broadcast a brief note about the incident, but nothing could be found about it on its Web site, and the episode got very little play in the mainstream press.

You know NBC was ready to make this its lead-in story until it blew up in their face.

I gotta wonder just how stupid those two reporters were (or if they were just a couple of interns who thought NBC would protect them).

vorticon · « **Reply #1 on:** August 16, 2004, 04:51:22 PM »

the thing ive never understood is why the box cutters were effective in the first place...id rather have steel toed shoes in a fight than one of those things...

Pongo · « **Reply #2 on:** August 16, 2004, 05:24:48 PM »

"NBC News that night broadcast a brief note about the incident"

rpm · « **Reply #3 on:** August 16, 2004, 05:32:53 PM »

Looks like they were checking to see if proper security was in place. It was.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #4 on:** August 16, 2004, 05:48:34 PM »

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Originally posted by rpm371
Looks like they were checking to see if proper security was in place. It was.

Do you think this was the proper way to address the security issue?

Gunslinger · « **Reply #5 on:** August 16, 2004, 05:50:46 PM »

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Originally posted by rpm371
Looks like they were checking to see if proper security was in place. It was.

yes and if it wasnt it would be breaking news on how the US is failing blah blah blah.

You usually dont see reports saying: "we tested airport security and they got an A"

Ripsnort · « **Reply #6 on:** August 16, 2004, 06:00:33 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Gunslinger
yes and if it wasnt it would be breaking news on how the US is failing blah blah blah.

You usually dont see reports saying: "we tested airport security and they got an A"

Exactly!

gofaster · « **Reply #7 on:** August 16, 2004, 10:18:06 PM »

Meanwhile, those two NBC people now have an arrest record.

"I see here that you were arrested? Can you explain that?"

"Yes, I was testing security at an airport for a news story I was doing."

"Sure you were."

gofaster · « **Reply #8 on:** August 16, 2004, 10:19:05 PM »

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Originally posted by Pongo
"NBC News that night broadcast a brief note about the incident"

But not in print. If you blinked, you missed it.

Rino · « **Reply #9 on:** August 16, 2004, 11:09:49 PM »

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Originally posted by Ripsnort
Do you think this was the proper way to address the security issue?

From the warning note my FBO received last week, apparently
those NBC dikhaids were trying this at more than one airport.

It's tough enough with the feds constantly trying to break
security and rich morons who think their convenience is more
important than protecting other's lives. Yeah, it's a great idea
to give the terrorists more tips..media scumbags.

Coolridr · « **Reply #10 on:** August 16, 2004, 11:13:44 PM »

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Originally posted by gofaster
Meanwhile, those two NBC people now have an arrest record.

"I see here that you were arrested? Can you explain that?"

"Yes, I was testing security at an airport for a news story I was doing."

"Sure you were."

Frickin' media pukes deserve it for pulling a stunt like that.

It was not to test the security...It was purley to show that our security fails.

The media has no interest in what we can do right. after all there is NEVER any good news on the news. The media thrives on disasters, scandal, and the misfortune of others.

Coolridr · « **Reply #11 on:** August 17, 2004, 12:02:36 PM »

I hate the major news services by the way.

Here's an example why.

you guys always provide some link to a news story that you accept as fact.

Do you ever stop to think that ALL news is biased one way or another? Human being are incapable of being unbiased. People accept whatever they read as fact because we are told to believe the news as factual. Thats why the media has way too much to do with whoever ends up being president. Plus just like my post above says. They thrive on people's misfortune.

slimm50 · « **Reply #12 on:** August 17, 2004, 12:49:07 PM »

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Originally posted by vorticon
the thing ive never understood is why the box cutters were effective in the first place...id rather have steel toed shoes in a fight than one of those things...

Cuase it's hard to be taken seriously holding a steel-toed boot to someone's throat.

I can see it now.

TheDudeDVant · « **Reply #13 on:** August 17, 2004, 01:39:07 PM »

How did they break the law?

Yes, I think what they did is a good way to test security.. Best way to test anything is to directly challange it..

Yes, I think NBC should have aired a story on it.. Probably more than what they did..