Today's Peeve of the Day, Friday 27th April. (the best, phone, relatives)

[Jezer]

Good morning peevers.

There's an article coming up on Breakfast TV in a few minutes about the fact that there's a drought here but parts of those areas are experiencing flooding. From the articles I've seen in the past and from the preview of this one it seems that these broadcasters either can't or won't understand that you can have both, and indeed can be linked due to the hard ground not letting water soak through to the water table where it is stored.

Rant over, but there is so much misreporting in the media. I was misquoted on a front page news article recently, even though I let them know that the proof copy I'd been sent was inaccurate.

By way of a long introduction, my heartfelt POTD is;

Misreporting in the media.

(Perhaps you have an example you could share?)

[Baldrick]

The local paper once put my Dad in the obituaries rather than the birthdays section which caused him some amusement when his friends phoned up to offer condolences to my Mum and he answered.

He did get an apology from the paper.

[wit-nit]

I'm a news nut and watch/listen/read various news media and it's interesting the different spin they give on the same story which leads you to believe none of them.

[JustJoy]

I don't watch the news, but will peruse some of the news sites. Have a wanna-be journalist down here who 'reports' all kinds of BS. Called him out one time when he wrote something completely inaccurate about a friend of mine. What a loser.

[nimchimpsky]

I was reported dead on March 17, 2011. I had to clear it up with social security and everything--with an hours-long interview and huge background check. Then I had to sign all these papers proving I'm still alive. I'm just so glad no one tried to steal my identity during the two weeks or so that my social security number was public domain. And the only reason I found out at all is because I applied for a passport, and the agency called my father with their condolences. That's when my dad handed the phone over to me and it went something like this:
Agency Operator: This is Nim?
Me: Yes.
AO: Nim Chimpsky?
Me: Yes.
AO: You're alive?
Me: Um. Yeah. Why?
AO: We did a Google search and your obituary came up.
Me: [laughing] Seriously? [I went over to my computer to check. Sure enough, it was there.]

At first I thought it was the obituary company's error, but when I contacted them, they said they got their information directly from social security, and only then did I realize I had to go through the whole process of proving I'm still alive and well.

I think something like 23,000 people get misreported dead per year.

I know exactly why they did. I ran away from an abusive situation and didn't stay in touch with anyone, so I was there one day and gone the next. But I guess it never occurred to the people in that area to check with my relatives first before reporting me dead to social security.

[Sweetie Pie]

Grrrrrrrrrr.........this p*ss*s me off!

[Cunucu Beach]

This happens all the time. Our local newspaper has to print some kind of retraction at least once a month.

[ylisa7]

I don't trust the media at all. The days of investigative reporting is gone. Now it's about sensationalism and ratings.. oh yeah...and also who bought and paid for them

[ylisa7]

Originally Posted by nitram

I'm a news nut and watch/listen/read various news media and it's interesting the different spin they give on the same story which leads you to believe none of them.

I once heard a litigation lawyer say something similar. He said "we all get the same facts but whoever tells the best story with those facts wins"

It's sadly not about truth anymore.

[PJSaturn]

Great peeve, Jezer! It happens all the time. I think it's deplorable that members of the media print or broadcast
information that hasn't been verified. It's their job, for Pete's sake!

To those here who have been reported deceased, my condolences.

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