CNN spent hours of airtime tonight on that plane

[lpbk2713]

that ran off the runway in Chicago. A non-story if I ever saw one. There wasn't any fire or loss of life. They had interviews with everyone but the guy who cleans out the toilets (maybe I missed him while I was out of the room). They did the same thing not too long ago with the plane that landed with the bad nose gear. Why can't they just say here's what happened and move on to something else? Does someone at CNN just slam the brakes on and focus everything on one story now and then? I just don't get it.

[REP]

1. One Dead Child in December = Hours of Airtime

One kid was killed and several people were injured, some seriously.

[ticapnews]

2. How many of our kids were killed in the desert today?

Of course, that is a story Americans don't want to see or hear. It might depress them and drive down holiday Christmas shopping.

[leftchick]

16. Last Three identified by DOD... 19,20 and 21 years old....

http://icasualties.org/oif/

:cry:

[lpbk2713]

4. I wasn't aware of a fatality.

Every time I turned the channel to CNN they had that story on but I didn't hear any mention of a fatality. I just now went to Google News and found out about it. Terrible loss.

[Voltaire99]

14. Just more info-tainment for TV Nation.

Big Media loves Big Crashes!

Beats reporting.

[benburch]

3. Ummm...

One person is said to be in extremely critical condition...

Sounds newsworthy enough to me when a car is struck by an airliner on the street....

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

5. You Know That Times Are Weird....

When you have to start watching out for oncoming planes while you're driving down the road.

[niyad]

6. there are a couple of places in southern CA where a runway intersects

a roadway--and I know a person who was run over by a plane, in his car. thankfully, nobody was hurt.

[SoCalDem]

7. A 6 yr old boy in a car died..

How awful for that family and for the pilot too.. Midway is a very dangerous airport.. I preferreed Meigs to Midway.

[hopeisaplace]

8. that is so so sad

my heart goes out to that family tonight..how absolutely tragic for them..I can't imagine that kind of pain

edit: spelling error

[KharmaTrain]

9. Quick Ground Reaction

I just spoke with someone who was on the scene. He, like me, wondered WTF the airport was open after it had gotten nearly 9 inches of snow and visibility was next to zero. He said this plane should have either gone to O'Hare or anther airport...this was an accident that didn't have to happen.

Fortunately the plane went off a far runway and where it left the airport is an industrial area. It's a shame and poor fate that family happened to be driving down that street at that particular moment. However, ground response was almost immediate. He said despite all the snow, emergency crews were on the scene in seconds. The real drama was the family trapped by an engine in their car...the one the boy died in...and that jaws of life were needed to pry the car open.

Yep, the cable networks went ape-shit on this story, but what do you expect. We're in an age where it's not the quality of the 'news' but the speed and quantity....and when there isn't quantity, well, there's still speed.

Honestly, CNN gave this story more coverage than the local stations. After the story first broke, I had to search around to find any local coverage...even they were back to regular network programming. We do take air situations seriosuly here...remember, Chicago is where Flight 191...the worst single plane disaster in American history took place.

[SoCalDem]

10. I have landed many times in blizzards...at O'Hare

I would never fly into Midway.. They were planning to close it YEARS ago..

[BlueCollar]

17. for the cheapest fare

you'll be surprised at the risks people will take

[XemaSab]

11. TV news is garbage

n/t

[parasim]

12. What I don't understand is...

Now, I know that a boy was killed in that tragic accident and so yes, it is newsworthy, but what I can't understand is why the man being shot by air marshalls on the jetway in the other tragic plane incident today is not getting much coverage at all.

I mean, it seems to me that that is a pretty serious story, but when I went to foxnews.com, it wasn't anywhere to be found. Nowhere. and on the other major MSM sites, CNN, MSNBC, etc. only a small blurb on their front pages.

Is this not an equally important story?

[malaise]

15. Good spot

That is a very serious story but only for people who value life.

[muriel_volestrangler]

18. Now Top of their Latest Headlines

"Witnesses: Miami Passenger Scared, Didn't Say 'Bomb'"

[flordehinojos]

13. CNN also spent hours on the bushthugs' killing at MIA the day before.

It seems they are trying to protect little chimpy mcfart from negative press ... (as if they ever give him any negative press... what a laugh!)..but they must make themselves feel like they are talking about real news stories, therefore, the thugs' killing of a deranged man at the miami international airport, and the airplane skid off the chicago runway. however they do it, they manage to censor negative political stores about the bush mcfarts all.

[mmonk]

19. I just don't watch broadcast news anymore

It's like a slow lobotomy.

[in_cog_ni_to]

20. Our local news interrupted programming to break the story and

that lasted for maybe 10 minutes and they continued with regular programming until news time at 10:00. THAT was it for coverage here. My heart goes out to the family of the little boy who died. :( I will say, it's a damn good thing this plane didn't end up on Cicero Ave. THAT could have been a MAJOR disaster. Cicero has a TON of traffic and more than 2 cars would have been hit.

This trend in sensationalizing the news sucks. They start with a story that deserves a little coverage and sensationalize it for DAYS or weeks. It gets so old. All I can say is...THANK G-D for Air America Radio! When the media latches onto one of it's "disaster" stories, I just turn it off and turn on my XM and listen to AAR.