TheCatSite.com › Forums › General Forums › IMO: In My Opinion › WV mine disaster & the media
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

WV mine disaster & the media

post #1 of 11
1/6/06 at 3:13pm
Thread Starter 
I am very upset with the media coverage of this tragic event. They need to leave those poor people alone. My BF and I were just flipping through channels and came across CNN coverage of a press conference with the wife of the sole survivor and our (WV's) first lady. All we could think was how exploitative it was. The press exploiting that poor woman for ratings, and Gayle Manchin exploiting her for political advantage.
I could just spit.


Oh, and why is it that every time WV is in the news, they manage to find the most sterotypical "hillbilly" bystander they can find, when there are normal, well-spoken West Virginians standing right next to them???
I'm not talking about Mrs. McCloy who was on the news just now...just the fools they seem to find (or seek out) for random interviews.


And another thing that I can't even turn into a proper rant because it ticks me off even worse than Bush....
King Coal has RUINED this beautiful state. Lopped off it's mountain tops, killed it's men, polluted it's rivers and streams, stolen from it's people....
Reply
post #2 of 11
1/6/06 at 3:24pm
I am getting so I really cannot stand the media. You can't believe anything
they say. They ALL spin it whatever way they want to whether it be left wing or right wing. It is revolting anymore.
Reply
post #3 of 11
1/6/06 at 6:28pm
That's the reason I decided not to be a journalist. I had really considered it, but then there was a major flood in our area with homes destroyed and lived taken in the blink of an eye. We turned on the news that night and there were news crews shoving their microphones and camera into people's faces who had just lost everything they had, including family members. It was disgusting.
Reply
post #4 of 11
1/6/06 at 9:15pm
I would have to agree. They are just continuing the "hilbilly" sterotype. They made the people of West Virginia look like poor helpless people. They make it sound like that going into the mines is the only thing you can do. They fail to mention that WVU is 45mins north of this town. They have a woman on who said that "there is no opportunity here"... that is simply not true. Morgantown is the fast growing city on the east coast. Fairmont and Clarksburg are growing quickly too.
I love how these reporters are standing outside of WVU hostpicals where West Virginia University is everywhere and still call it the University of West Virginia. They made the doctors at WVU hospitals look like they had no clue at what they are doing.

Unfortunaly this disaster has shown how safty has takena backseat to production in the coal industry.
Reply
post #5 of 11
1/6/06 at 9:47pm
Thread Starter 
Safety has ALWAYS bene the last thing on the coal barons' minds. The UMWA has it's problems, but it's a good thing it's there.

In some parts of the state, mining really IS about the only thing you can do, even 45 minutes from Morgantown. If your family is too poor to send you to college, no matter how much financial aid you get, what can you do? Work for minimum wage at a Wal-Mart an hour away and barely earn back your gas expenses, or make $15 an hour in a mine? Besides, if you can get to college, who is going to support the family? Mom is busy taking care of your siblings, and Dad is worn out from working in the mines. Do you go to college and do the poor student thing, or do you provide for your family?
I hate to say it, but yeah, there really isn't much opportunity here. There's even less for someone who's poor and can't go to college.

The state government really doesn't help with that, either. There is SOO much that could be done in this state to make it a real destination, but they don't care about that. All they care about is which coal company is paying their bills this week. They're all in bed with big coal, and it's totally ruined this state.
McDowell County, WV used to be THE wealthiest county in the NATION. HUGE coal producer. Now, it's one of the poorest counties. I've been there...my BF grew up there...I've seen it. I've heard the stories from his grandparents, of how it used to be a real hub, and now there's nothng. Noting but filth and poverty and rotting buildings and coal dust, set in some of the most beautiful mountains you will ever see...mountains that are being ripped apart, literally, to get at what coal is left. And it's happened all over this state.
Reply
post #6 of 11
1/7/06 at 5:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ckblv
I am getting so I really cannot stand the media. You can't believe anything
they say. They ALL spin it whatever way they want to whether it be left wing or right wing. It is revolting anymore.
Want the shock of your week? ANOTHER thing you and I agree on!

And I agree with Zoen'MissKitty- they do seek out who some would deem the "stereotypical" mountain person when the majority of people are nothing like that. And feeding off of others' tragedies just for ratings- SHAME ON THEM!
Reply
post #7 of 11
1/9/06 at 5:33pm
Look what the media did in Louisiana.
They made it look like all that lived in the hurricane striken areas were black, poor, hoodlums, and too dumb to leave.

I watched the miners story on CNN and I think they did a pretty good job but then again, they were like vultures preying on these peoples heartache as it happened. Heck, it makes a good story and that's what we all supposedly want.....

its a double edged sword.
Reply
post #8 of 11
1/9/06 at 6:03pm
That's sad to hear. I find the press here in Canada will cover a subject and then leave it alone. That holds positive and negative points, IMO.

Here in Canada we have yet to hear about the Canadian hostages that have been held in Iraq for over a month now. It's situations like this where the public are left hanging that coverage should be more extensive.
Reply
post #9 of 11
1/9/06 at 8:18pm
Great news.... the Miner who survived is doing very well!
Reply
post #10 of 11
1/10/06 at 5:06am
I do get mad with the media over the way they cover a story. Here's an example: when the London Underground was bombed last summer, we had hours of so-called news programmes, all on that topic. It was too much! They had no facts, no News, all they were doing was getting people's reactions - that is NOT news, it's human tragedy and shouldn't be spread over the TV screen. I do see that it is important that we are all aware of the scale of a disaster, but there is no point going on and on when they have nothing new to tell us.

Sue
Reply
post #11 of 11
1/10/06 at 7:53am
On the other hand, the American public must WANT what the media shows them or they wouldn't do it? I guess that is question.

Why do we eat up stories like Scott Petersen and OJ and such?
What is wrong with us?

I am as guilty as the next person, I follwed the Michael Jackson trial avidly.
Same with Scott Peterson.

But, then I have heard that Americans are the most generous and when they see stories of human suffering they rush to open this pocket books, so I guess we aren't all bad.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: IMO: In My Opinion
TheCatSite.com › Forums › General Forums › IMO: In My Opinion › WV mine disaster & the media