939@NJIT-EIES.MAILNET ("Bob Czech") (01/29/86)
It's been about 4 hours since the Challenger blew up and the most disgusting aspect of this whole accident is the way the press has handled it. This is
usually the problem that most people find with great tragedies. Nothing bothered us more here at CCCC more than the way that ABC, descretely (said in REAL
sarcasm), enabled us to view the teacher's parents as the Challenger ascended and then after the explosion. It's one thing to drag out an apparent accident,
but another to feed and use upon human emotions as they did.
The real tragedy is the injustice done to NASA, after MANY great successes to have this dragged and blown out of proportion. It's still a great pride
and joy to watch any shuttle lift off and I wish everyone would make such a big deal when NASA makes a great success and not eat away at them with the
failures.
The whole space shuttle program has been one of the greatest feats in engineering and nobody really cares, but if it messes up, everyone is made sure not
to forget it.
May those who died rest in peace, but let's not forget the real mission.jim@sivax.UUCP (Jim Boman) (01/30/86)
Bob Czech writes: > > It's been about 4 hours since the Challenger blew up and the most disgusting aspect of this whole accident is the way the press has handled it. This is > usually the problem that most people find with great tragedies. Nothing bothered us more here at CCCC more than the way that ABC, descretely (said in REAL > sarcasm), enabled us to view the teacher's parents as the Challenger ascended and then after the explosion. It's one thing to drag out an apparent accident, > but another to feed and use upon human emotions as they did. Don't forget why the press is there...to report. They don't enjoy having to bring reality to the screen, but what happens, happens. What else can they do? Run Bugs Bunny cartoons? Of course not. They're not there to make judgements as to what is "fit" for us to see. They were there. The relatives were there. The shuttle exploded. We watched. There is nothing disgusting about that...it's sad. You want disgusting? If reporters had made a mad dash for the bleachers and asked the stupid "How do you feel" questions to the relatives at that time, THAT would be disgusting, and I dare say that ANY journalist who attempted that would soon find himself looking for work as a copyboy. That's how the press used to act in this country (remember the Hauptmann case?), and I think you'll agree that most don't any more. Next time a tragedy occurs, put yourself in the place of the press. What would you do, keeping in mind that you have a job to do? Read Bob Czech's first comment again. Don't you think that the loss of life, and the sense of loss everyone felt is disgusting? The fact that millions of little kids were watching? Only someone who has a serious problem with journalists would think what Mr. Czech thinks
carroll@uiucdcsb.CS.UIUC.EDU (02/04/86)
Yeah, but the press went beyond that. 15 minutes after the accident, they are hounding Larry Speakes about what it will mean to the entire future of the space program. Right. RR has figured everything that quick. And they hounded him about "what did the Prez say/feel?". Isn't that the sort of thing you said they didn't do anymore? And the continual questions about ejection seats were not in bad taste, just stupid. Or, asking Mr. Speakes about what is going on, and listening to him state for the third or fourth time that all that they knew they had gotten from TV (this was just after the incident, not more than 20 minutes, and they wanted him to explain the entire accident and wrap it up). Ridiculous. They weren't even listening to what he was saying.
blake@sx7000.UUCP (Chris Blake) (02/05/86)
> Bob Czech writes: > > > > It's been about 4 hours since the Challenger blew up and the most disgusting aspect of this whole accident is the way the press has handled it. This is > > usually the problem that most people find with great tragedies. Nothing bothered us more here at CCCC more than the way that ABC, descretely (said in REAL > > sarcasm), enabled us to view the teacher's parents as the Challenger ascended and then after the explosion. It's one thing to drag out an apparent accident, > > but another to feed and use upon human emotions as they did. > > Don't forget why the press is there...to report. They don't enjoy having > to bring reality to the screen, but what happens, happens. What else can > they do? Run Bugs Bunny cartoons? Of course not. They're not there to make I wouldn't complain if all they did was report what happened without exploitating the fact that it happened. They don't have to play Bugs Bunny cartoons. There's plenty going on in the world other than the unfortunate shuttle disaster. The media should simply report what happened, show the accident tape I know we've all seen > 100 times, and thats it. No need to show close ups of the crowd's faces with their party hats on. No need to report over and over that noone knows what happened. No need to interview people who had nothing to do with the matter at all. It was a terrible thing, but the media went crazy. They did more than just inform us. By 12 noon the day it happened I'm sure everyone in North America heard of what had happened. But for the next 3 days all that was on TV was about the shuttle. No new news except that there was no new news. But they had to boost their ratings "More on the Challenger at 5". It was as bad as the summit meetings!
root@challenger.UUCP (Operator) (02/06/86)
> > It's been about 4 hours since the Challenger blew up and the most >disgusting aspect of this whole accident is the way the press has handled it. > This is > usually the problem that most people find with great tragedies. Nothing > bothered us more here at CCCC more than the way that ABC, descretely > (said in REAL > sarcasm), enabled us to view the teacher's parents as the Challenger >ascended and then after the explosion. It's one thing to drag out an >apparent accident, > but another to feed and use upon human emotions as they did. > > The real tragedy is the injustice done to NASA, after MANY great >successes to have this dragged and blown out of proportion. It's still a > great pride > and joy to watch any shuttle lift off and I wish everyone would make such a > big deal when NASA makes a great success and not eat away at them with the > failures. > > The whole space shuttle program has been one of the greatest feats in >engineering and nobody really cares, but if it messes up, everyone is >made sure not to forget it. > > May those who died rest in peace, but let's not forget the real mission. I agree completely - the space program does not need the vampires who play on the emotions of the people involved. The pictures of the teachers parents were about as necessary to the true picture as would be a lifetime subscription to the National Enquirer ( and about as much class)!!!!! All I can say is if we had not taken risks, man would never have come out of the caves. Please don't let the lives of the seven have been in vain!. Mike Fields
john@frog.UUCP (John Woods, Software) (02/10/86)
> ... But for the next 3 days all that was on TV was about the shuttle. > No new news except that there was no new news. But they had to boost their > ratings "More on the Challenger at 5". It was as bad as the summit meetings! > Well, while I was not happy with the quality of the newscasts, I don't begrudge their obsession. Shuttle news was all I was interested in (I bought a radio that day for my office, and I am only now getting _back out_ of the habit of leaving the radio on in my car as I travel to and from work -- because there is no longer any news). You might even consider that part of their obsession was because some of the news people actually cared about the shuttle! (I know; subhuman as they seem, it is hard to believe...) -- John Woods, Charles River Data Systems, Framingham MA, (617) 626-1101 ...!decvax!frog!john, ...!mit-eddie!jfw, jfw%mit-ccc@MIT-XX.ARPA This space dedicated to Challenger and her crew, Francis R. Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Ronald E. McNair, Gregory B. Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. "...and slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God."