Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site allegra.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!harpo!eagle!allegra!karn
From: karn@allegra.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: TV news mangling (flame!)
Message-ID: <2080@allegra.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 8-Dec-83 19:14:47 EST
Article-I.D.: allegra.2080
Posted: Thu Dec  8 19:14:47 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Dec-83 02:05:49 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 21

Now I'm really mad. On the 6pm news, Channel 7 (WABC) here in New York
ran an opening story saying that "when the Columbia astronauts tried to
fire their rockets to return to earth, the Columbia shook violently and they
couldn't return to earth...They'll try again to return to earth this
afternoon..."  Then they went on to show a little clip of Apollo 13,
comparing this incident to it!!

It's bad enough that the media selectively reports only the bad news.  Its
totally inexcusable when they distort the news beyond recognition in order
to create a "life-threatening crisis" as they have in this situation.  If
I had not already been familiar with the situation through other means
(like listening to the un-talked-over mission audio via amateur radio
station WA3NAN) I would have been very worried, thinking that the OMS
fuel tanks had exploded or something.  Furthermore, they didn't consider
it worthy to interrupt their "important scoop" on steel animal traps to
carry the landing live until about 1.5 minutes before landing!!

I would urge anyone who also saw this miserable piece of yellow journalism
to write WABC and protest.  I certainly am.

Phil Karn