Thoughts. Questions. Should WFAA-TV be held responsible?

[tomson75]

If, after all is said and done, this turns out to be a case of irresponsible jounalism....

1) Someone needs to be held accountable for this fiasco. This type of recklessness has been far too common in recent years.

2) Does the Dallas Cowboys organization, TO, or TO's publisist have any legal means to make an example out of the irresponsible party?

3) Will ESPN be exposed for their agenda driven reports? The coverage from ESPN has been absolutely deplorable. Jim Rome should be in prison.

4) Why is this information so easily obtained through the Dallas Police Department? What happened to one's right to privacy?

5) Will the media eat their words? Will those that condemned TO for this circus suck it up and admit fault?

6) Will the media ease up on TO?

7) How does this effect the team? Unite or Ignite?

 

[sbark]

Classic case of the "Drive By Mediots"----

Tell you what when Chris Matthews gets sued over the valerie Plame/Armitage drive by media hit---their target was cheney and or Rove
then TO will have a case

---------but maybe better yet, TO's case could set precedent for the mediots to be forced back to being "journalists"----

used to be "ambulance chasers" was a term reserved for cheap lawers, but the media has lowered themselves to that point

 

[CrazyCowboy]

6) Will the media ease up on TO?

One word ......NO!

 

[TX_Yid]

I think its a genuine misunderstanding.

Over reaction by the publicist (better safe than sorry). Police report says suicide because thats what it looked like.

Media gets the report and publicizes what it says.

The only thing that was wrong were some of the comments from the media like from Mosley, and some comments I read from posters of this forum. Some of you should hang your heads in shame today, but I know you won't.

 

[GTaylor]

Would depend on whether the police report was signed, if yes than it's on the police. If not then it's possible

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I think its a genuine misunderstanding.

Over reaction by the publicist (better safe than sorry). Police report says suicide because thats what it looked like.

Media gets the report and publicizes what it says.

The only thing that was wrong were some of the comments from the media like from Mosley, and some comments I read from posters of this forum. Some of you should hang your heads in shame today, but I know you won't.

I agree I think it was a total messup but not meant to be malicious.

Now once the information came out to the contrary I would think it would be the responsibility to give it as much time and coverage as what was given to the build up and speculation.

I will never forget the amount of time and coverage that was given to the story of Big E and Irvin when they were accused of rape....yet once the girl came forward and said she made it up it was like the media only did a blurb about it and dropped it quick fast and in a hurry.

I could be wrong but I don't remember one media source apologizing for rampant speculations and mean comments towards E, Irvin or the cowboys.

 

[CowboyChris]

If,
Jim Rome should be in prison.

what did the pimp in the box have to say?? to warrant prison?

 

[ZeroClub]

I guess we could turn this on its head.

Maybe WFAA's error was that it didn't report enough T.O. news and information.

 

[bbgun]

Yes, let's hold WFAA accountable for accurately reporting that the police suspected a suicide attempt. Jeez.

 

[The30YardSlant]

I think its a genuine misunderstanding.

Bullcrap

Someone said "Pills", "TO", and "Hospital", and they ran with it

 

[GTaylor]

I could be wrong but I don't remember one media source apologizing for rampant speculations and mean comments towards E, Irvin or the cowboys.

Marty Griffin of Channel 5 was sued and they won 2.1 million, but I'm not sure if he had to apologize. He was also the same guy that set up Irvin on that cocaine purchase and sat on the video until sweeps week

I'll have to look up the archives but I believe what happened was she contacted Marty first. He recommended she contact the police, then afterwards broke the story.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Bullcrap

Someone said "Pills", "TO", and "Hospital", and they ran with it

If they read the info from a police report than I am not sure what else you could blame them for at that point.

If anything it would seem either the publicist or police report would be the ones to point the fingers.

One could argue the police knew they were possibly in the wrong because they were the first to have a PC to basically say nothing.

 

[iceberg]

I think its a genuine misunderstanding.

Over reaction by the publicist (better safe than sorry). Police report says suicide because thats what it looked like.

Media gets the report and publicizes what it says.

The only thing that was wrong were some of the comments from the media like from Mosley, and some comments I read from posters of this forum. Some of you should hang your heads in shame today, but I know you won't.

i can see this. you get the initial responses you get and it's easy to let yourself get caught up in the moment and want to be a part of something "that extreme". the real lesson i learned today is when proven wrong -

1) who backed off and saw with unbiased eyes
2) who kept pushing for ANYTHING to keep the "bad TO" story alive?

like a few others, i've seen some colors i didn't expect to see and will file and move on and just realize that when the lights to the truth come on, who stands still and learns, and who runs for excuses like cockroaches for cover.

 

[heavyg]

Would depend on whether the police report was signed, if yes than it's on the police. If not then it's possible

What do you mean by signed? Signed by the reporting officer or his supervisor? Just because a report is signed by both officer and supervisor does not mean case closed. Once the report is completed then it has to be investigated. What an initial police report is is information the officer takes from a victim, witnesses and maybe as suspect. Also he will put in anything he observes at the scene.

I think the big issue here regarding the police report is how did the media get ahold of it? That is not puplic information. Especially in an ongoing investigation. I think the Dallas PD has a leak somewhere

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Marty Griffin of Channel 5 was sued and they won 2.1 million, but I'm not sure if he had to apologize. He was also the same guy that set up Irvin on that cocaine purchase and sat on the video until sweeps week

I'll have to look up the archives but I believe what happened was she contacted Marty first. He recommended she contact the police, then afterwards broke the story.

I did not know that.

That was before the net was big and living in WV I did not get much local dallas news.

 

[iceberg]

Yes, let's hold WFAA accountable for accurately reporting that the police suspected a suicide attempt. Jeez.

and let's keep thinking TO is really suicidal and needs to be watched, shall we?

if WFAA reported the wrong facts, then people should quit holding onto them like a shield.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I agree I think it was a total messup

Messup is a pretty kind word for the situation.

 

[Concord]

Classic case of the "Drive By Mediots"----

Tell you what when Chris Matthews gets sued over the valerie Plame/Armitage drive by media hit---their target was cheney and or Rove
then TO will have a case
---------but maybe better yet, TO's case could set precedent for the mediots to be forced back to being "journalists"----

used to be "ambulance chasers" was a term reserved for cheap lawers, but the media has lowered themselves to that point

Well since you brought it up...T.O. wouldn't have a case since Matthews was spot on. Cheney and Rove would never win that one.

 

[tomson75]

Yes, let's hold WFAA accountable for accurately reporting that the police suspected a suicide attempt. Jeez.

So this was a good story then?

Police reports are written by people that make mistakes and should not be taken as fact. Also, "TO attempts suicide" doesn't scream "police suspect suicide." But thanks for offering some useful insight, squirtgun.

 

[StanleySpadowski]

Yes, this station should be held accountable (but they won't).


Before they ran with the police report, they should have at a minimum done a cursory search of its facts. They didn't. A simple online search would have shown that there was contradictory information in the police report. A person who ingests 35 pills of any pain medicine (let alone Vicodin) cannot form coherent thoughts to answer any question and more often than not is totally unresponsive. This alone should have tipped off any competent journalist that something was amiss.

A do not fault the responding officers for what they put in the initial report because they wouldn't have five minutes to look the information up but I do blame the DPD for leaking a preliminary report.