MSNBC: wrong

[Mike Peregrine]

My biggest fear with all the public "news" submissions these days is the potential for misinformation and misunderstanding.

An example: this photo, currently displayed on MSNBC's front page.

The funniest thing is the quote:

This picture was sent to my phone by a friend. It is of the TORNADO that hit Altus 6-5-08. The city of Altus and The Emergency Operations Center say it was just straight line winds that did all the damage. Well here is proof!

Ummm, I think I'm going to go with the city of Altus and the Emergency Operations Center and say that is just a rain shaft. But good job getting it on the "news."

I almost guarantee that I could submit this photo of a similar rainshaft that same day east of McPherson, and say that it was a tornado, and they would proudly display it as such:

 

[MatthewCarman]

I saw a rainshaft yesterday that looked alot like this possible rainshaft. No way to tell for sure without seeing the motion but I see nothing in that photo that screams tornado. So I will also say it was most likely strait line winds that caused the damage. I also think it is wrong for them to bash EOC who are doing thier job the best they can.

 

[Danny Neal]

LOL it is clearly a rainshaft. You don't need to see motion in this case. Being that close to the "tornado" you would at least notice some sort dust or debris being kicked up. Not even mentioning how high-based the storm appears to be (in that area of the rain)

 

[Mike Peregrine]

The other really cool thing about that photo is that it was 'sent to the submitter's phone by a friend.' I'm sure it won't be long before we start seeing all of our photography (especially Hollingshead's) getting posted to CNN, MSNBC, etc. under someone else's name.

 

[John Hudson]

LOL, what do you guys think? Is it an F2 or maybe an F3 rain shaft?

So much for the "Citizen Journalist" movement. Looks like the networks are getting exactly what they're paying for!


John

 

[Danny Neal]

The other really cool thing about that photo is that it was 'sent to the submitter's phone by a friend.' I'm sure it won't be long before we start seeing all of our photography (especially Hollingshead's) getting posted to CNN, MSNBC, etc. under someone else's name.

It's happened locally around here.... After tornado in my neck of the woods the other day, you start seeing guys send in pictures of this tornado, but you could tell they were off the internet and emailed in. I am sure this has happened many times. Not so sure what can be done about it, because half of the time, the true author is oblivious to whats going on with his or her work. A 13 year old, he was caught and taken off youtube, tried to say he video taped the tornado that Andrew Pritchard did. We all know it is going on, but what is to stop these people from copying and pasting into an email and anonymously sending it in. To some its a minute point, to other it can get under your skin.

 

[Mike Peregrine]

This just illustrates a much larger problem with the media. They have lost every trace of journalistic integrity, and the trend is to continue moving in the wrong direction. There is no good reason to put stock in absolutely anything we see in this tabloid culture.

 

[Dennis Sherrod]

This just illustrates a much larger problem with the media. They have lost every trace of journalistic integrity, and the trend is to continue moving in the wrong direction. There is no good reason to put stock in absolutely anything we see in this tabloid culture.

I am waiting the National Enquirer to say that the wandering loose Elephants in Wakenney, KS. last week were there and walked out because of an Elephant Trunk tornado in the area.
That is Journalistic Tabloid Exploitation

 

[Shane Adams]

As long as they keep making TV shows about chasers and chasing, this will get worse and worse. No one gave a damn about us until all the television specials. You can blame "Twister" all you want, but somehow I doubt a 13-year-old movie has much to do with today's public idiocy with "playing storm chaser". Media people and those who sympathize with the type say it's genius, that they're getting for free what used to cost them money (getting video from real chasers). However, pics like the one above are excellent examples of how this was actually a cheap, bonehead move all along. It's one thing to save a buck, but when the quality of product drops so drastically, or in this case, isn't even being delivered anymore, that's just stupidity.

It'd be cool if chasing wasn't splashed all over the general web the way it is, on crap like youtube and whatnot. Back when chasers actually cared about and maintained websites exclusively, all the hot content was available, but in a chase-type forum, so only those who were genuinely interested would find it. Nowadays, everyone has their video on youtube before the next tornado in the cycle is even down, and every stupid kid between 12-25 sees it, and thinks "hey I can do that". Again, I refer to the comments on any typical youtube video submission. Darwin is alive and well with the "gen net" generation.

I like the concept of youtube, but I hate the audience. That "stormtube" or whatever it was, that seems like a better deal IMO. Chasing is something that shouldn't be pushed onto the general public IMO, rather, let those who are interested do a little work and research, and find it for themselves. But that's just my opinion.

 

[Jim Saueressig]

I think it all boils down to money. If they can fill their reporting quota with user submitted "free" photos then they have a higher profit margin but there will be no real integrity with these ready made news stories. While it does better their profit margins I would also think that the first few times they were sued because they allowed someones copyrighted material to be used for a news story just because they don't verify anything they use anymore that maybe this would also cause them to reconsider their sources.

 

[Damon Scott Hynes]

This just illustrates a much larger problem with the media. They have lost every trace of journalistic integrity, and the trend is to continue moving in the wrong direction.

So let's help them along. Take our own photos, send them to CNN or whomever, and include text such as "Out chasing yesterday afternoon, caught this tornado near Bogusville, thank the heavens it didn't hit anything!" Send the same picture next time. Every time until their webmaster intern finally puts two and two together. Send the Great Lakes gust-front picture to every market during a hurricane. Go back and send scanned photos from Snowden Flora's book. This can be like sherrifnadoes or hallucinadoes, but writ large.

 

[Bob Schafer]

Hahahaha!! What a bunch of freakin morons! Everyone knows that that's Katrina making landfall.