Media Hype
It's disgusting how the media plays on our emotions to get ratings. It enrages me that the instant that they get even the teensiest lead, they start working on ways to milk that information and spew it out at us without even having a full story.
Between 6 and 6:30 this morning, a food service employee spotted 2 men dressed in camouflage and ski masks inside of Boulder High. At that point, police were notified, the school was blocked off and a thorough search of the school began. The Boulder Valley School District sent out a message through the automated notification system (email, phone messages, text messages) to all parents.
Within 2 hours (and that's a little slow for breaking news, huh), all the major news feeds are running a story about it - showing pictures of police armed to the teeth swarming the exterior of the school, guns pointed, and students (who obviously didn't get the message that school was closed) cordoned off two blocks away.
Headlines saying things like, "Police Swarm (or surround) Boulder, Colorado School; No Shots Reported" are all over the Internet. Headlines are proclaiming,"School Closed Until Further Notice," when even BVSD has conflicting information on its homepage. The main page says classes are cancelled for the day, but the school cancellations page states that school is delayed until 10 AM.
I work in an elementary school in town so I know that the official word is that school is closed for the day and other schools are taking precautionary measures, but all the information ...misinformation out there is nothing but vague and confusing and (purposely) misleading all in the name of creating (drum roll) SUSPENSE!
Don't get me wrong, I am glad that the school district is taking precautions, but the media is taking advantage of our emotions to sell news. People argue about freedom of speech and our right to know, but to know what?! Misinformation?!
My 77 year old grandmother called me crying saying she just heard on the local news (IN PUERTO RICO!!) that two ARMED men wearing ski masks and camo had just BROKEN into AND ROBBED a school in Boulder, but that EVACUATION was underway. She was scared to death and wanted to know what was happening and if I was okay.
Two ARMED men wearing ski masks and camo have just BROKEN into and ROBBER a school in Boulder and that EVACUATION was underway - does that sound like news or sensationalism?!
The reality is that the there is no indication that these men were armed. There is no sign of forceful entry nor stolen items. The sighting had not JUST happened. It happened around 6:30 am (an hour or so before the school day starts) when few people except maybe food services staff, the head custodian and possibly a handful of staff were around. It was not just some school in Boulder. It was Boulder High. Those pictures of kids "waiting outside of Boulder High" are not evacuees rather students who had not heard that school was closed being stopped and turned back about 2 blocks away. Wow, sounds almost like a different story.
Is it necessary to put out such unclear and incorrect information?! Is it necessary for who knows how many grandmas, parents and siblings of people that work and/ or go to school in Boulder to be misled into thinking that their loved one might be in danger of dying in yet another school shooting just to so some selfish reporter could boast to have broken the news?!
Emotions are still raw from the VA Tech shootings and the 8th anniversary of the Columbine shootings, but the media is never one to pass up a good lead, right?! Besides, we all need to know, right?!
As far as I am concerned, news is important when it is correct and we do have a right to know it, but all "breaking news" that gives incorrect, vague or unconfirmed information is nothing but media hype purposely put out there to keep us biting our fingernails at the edge of our seats tuned to the news.
Is that nothing else of importance is happening in the world today or is it that we need distractions? Interestingly enough, none of the alternative nor international news feeds are carrying this story. Instead, they are taking about Blair stepping down, genocide, famine, sectarian unrest in Lebanon, overcrowding, mistreatment and lack of rehabilitation of inmates in US jails and Bush's accountability in Iraq.
Hmmmm. Does it make you wonder? It does me. Why are people elsewhere asking important questions and we are cliff hanging over two suspicious individuals that may have been burglars, pranksters or a serious threat?!
Get the news straight before scaring the wits outta everyone! Commend the district for its rapid response or principals who are proactive about dealing with school violence. But, please, do not put out misinformation in the name of getting the story out. Give sensationalism a rest and start putting out the REAL news.
And don't make my grandma (or anyone else's grandma, mother, father, sibling, friend, etc.) cry when there is no need for them to suffer in anticipation of bad news.
