Great Example of News Reporting Trumping Form over Substance

[markfromj]

NBC nightly news, Saturday 6/27. NBC reporter reporting about the size of the force looking for the second NY escapee: "There are 1200 boots on the ground, looking for this one man".

Does that mean 600 officers? Or do we have some one-legged officers, whereby the count is between 600 and 1200?

Now, I know we use "boots on the ground" terminology to generally convey if there are land-based troops, but one cannot use that phrase when a quantity is stated.

This is an example of some reporter (or their writer) trying to be "colorful", and in doing so losing the facts.

How about "...there are 1200 law enforcement officers on the ground looking for this one man?" What's wrong with that?

 

[LuteHawk]

The NBC reporter who is referred to in this article.........

He is a graduate of the Brian Williams School of
Journalism.

 

[Lone Clone]

NBC nightly news, Saturday 6/27. NBC reporter reporting about the size of the force looking for the second NY escapee: "There are 1200 boots on the ground, looking for this one man".

Does that mean 600 officers? Or do we have some one-legged officers, whereby the count is between 600 and 1200?

Now, I know we use "boots on the ground" terminology to generally convey if there are land-based troops, but one cannot use that phrase when a quantity is stated.

This is an example of some reporter (or their writer) trying to be "colorful", and in doing so losing the facts.

How about "...there are 1200 law enforcement officers on the ground looking for this one man?" What's wrong with that?

Why even say "on the ground"?

This is akin to the Halloween reference to a "bulbous orange fruit" but of course the absolute classic is "white stuff" for snow.

 

[DanL53]

Bigger issue for me is how could anyone not understand that 1200 boots on the ground meant 1200 persons?

But I'm sure that someone, several thousands years ago in a cave in France was complaining, "Why three legs? Antelope have four legs!"

 

[markfromj]

Bigger issue for me is how could anyone not understand that 1200 boots on the ground meant 1200 persons?

The bigger issue for me is that news reporters are now entertainers rather than informers.

 

[DanL53]

The bigger issue for me is that news reporters are now entertainers rather than informers.

Fair opinion I was just having some fun. My real bigger issue is that the news be freaking accurate. We've got a little problem with that these days.

 

[Funky Bunch]

I'm sure some were wearing something other than boots.

 

[naturalmwa]

The bigger issue for me is that news reporters are now entertainers rather than informers.

This isn't new. Google yellow journalism

 

[markfromj]

This isn't new. Google yellow journalism

It is new to mainstream "serious" news organizations in the last, oh, 20 years.

 

[lawsonhawk]

sugar diabetes

 

[Pepperman]

The bigger issue for me is that news reporters are now entertainers rather than informers.

I know you know this, and so do most people reading the thread... but anybody watching a station like MSNBC or Fox is not getting "news". They are getting slanted opinions that are more entertaining than what true news is. And that means people watch more, which means companies advertise at them, etc...

 

[markfromj]

Pepperman: Very true. But what gets to me as even worse is even their attempt at reporting basic facts (how many officers) now has to be dressed up in such stupid language that the very fact gets lost.

 

[Pepperman]

Pepperman: Very true. But what gets to me as even worse is even their attempt at reporting basic facts (how many officers) now has to be dressed up in such stupid language that the very fact gets lost.

Yes, and it is a lot like the "BREAKING NEWS" tag that gets attached to everything. I can't stand that stuff either.

However, just as often as the facts are sensationalized, "facts" are omitted from news reports. Things that might help describe what an alleged criminal looked like, etc. Ah, who am I kidding, welcome back to the HROT board!

 

[Lone Clone]

I know you know this, and so do most people reading the thread... but anybody watching a station like MSNBC or Fox is not getting "news". They are getting slanted opinions that are more entertaining than what true news is. And that means people watch more, which means companies advertise at them, etc...

That depends which programs they are watching on those (or other) channels.

 

[bagdropper]

1200 > 600.

Next thing you know, there'll be something like "6,000 toes out searching for one man".

Well, maybe 6,001 because Antonio Alphonseca plus a guy who shot his toe off once is searching too

 

[markfromj]

However, just as often as the facts are sensationalized, "facts" are omitted from news reports. Things that might help describe what an alleged criminal looked like, etc. Ah, who am I kidding, welcome back to the HROT board!

Ah, the "teenagers" thing. Ok, I might re-engage. We'll see.