So what is the result of getting it wrong? Do reporters ever suffer the consequences of making mistakes?
Well, yes and no. Dan Rather left his anchor chair earlier than he planned, but is still feted and fawned on by his colleagues. A few other examples come to mind … Jason Blair who was fired for simply making it up. Janet Cooke who was fired for the same thing. But what about those people who screwed up in a big way, not through dishonesty but through incompetence. As a FOX News watcher, I remember Shep Smith emoting for the cameras during the hurricane “reporting” the same bull that the others were about snipers, rapes and the non-reaction of the National Guard. And watching Smith during his news show I am convinced that he is the FOX News anchor because of his blue eyes and boyish good looks, not the fluff between his ears.
And from the LA Times:
Fox News, a day before the major evacuation of the Superdome began, issued an "alert" as talk show host Alan Colmes reiterated reports of "robberies, rapes, carjackings, riots and murder. Violent gangs are roaming the streets at night, hidden by the cover of darkness."
Other news outlets were not as restrained.
So as we get to the anniversary, the media will be anxious to “report” on everyone else’s culpability while setting in stone some of the myths that they created during the storm. Perhaps it will be the role of the blogs to throw some cold water on this pack of curs and bring some justice to those who failed us during Katrina: the press.
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