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Breaking News: Polish president killed in plane crash

Tragic news which, as is typical, was under-covered here in the USA. My sympathies go out to the Polish people; it's truly a great country that has worked hard toward 'first world' economic status.
 
The moderator of a New York radio board is taking ABC Radio News to task over leading one of their TOH newscasts on Saturday afternoon with how Tiger Woods is faring in the Masters, saying that it's not as important as the plane crash, or even the mining disaster in our country. I guess it's to be expected - "it's what the people want"...
 
Apparently, Saturday morning's Today Show buried the story and reported it as a '...a Polish plane crashed in Russia, the president was one of the passengers on board.' Then they went on to their usual mindless happy talk crapola.

I scanned the all news channels for info at several times during the weekend and found the coverage of this significant event to be very lacking. News coverage is supposed to be about making judgments with regard to what's really important and what is not. Sometimes we may not agree with the call. However, it's quite clear to me that a plane crash wiping out much of the government of a strong US ally and member of the EU is probably quite a bit more important than the trials and tribulations of a foul-mouthed philanderer hitting a little white ball with a stick. So are the deaths of more than two dozen in a coal mine and a number of other stories.

The news media should be ashamed, but they won't be because they have no sense of shame.
 
BRNout said:
Apparently, Saturday morning's Today Show buried the story and reported it as a '...a Polish plane crashed in Russia, the president was one of the passengers on board.' Then they went on to their usual mindless happy talk crapola.

...it's quite clear to me that a plane crash wiping out much of the government of a strong US ally and member of the EU is probably quite a bit more important than the trials and tribulations of a foul-mouthed philanderer hitting a little white ball with a stick. So are the deaths of more than two dozen in a coal mine and a number of other stories.
Click to expand...

Back in 2006 with the Sago Mine disaster, the media, both press and television, paid rote attention to the event. Now, with the death of Poland's president and top leaders and the Montcoal disaster, TV buries them in the middle of the newscast, while celebrity news and "if it bleeds, it leads" stories taking top priority.

Another reason why I give newspapers much more respect than TV news -- papers still tell it like it is, while on TV, it's all style, no substance.
 
Where I live there was an annual Hazardous Waste Collection event, which included old electronics. I had some Liquid Plumr bottles and a box already in the back seat of my newer car. I rarely listen to "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me' but since I was in a car where the radio worked, I took advanatage. I'm just busy that time of day on Saturday, normally. Yes, it was fund to hear two of the orignal members of the Village People interviewed. But when the show was over, then I heard thios tragic news. To me, it doesn't seem like coverage was inadequate simply because I learned about it on NPR, which always gives world news more emphasis. I usually hear them after "Car TalK", which I make more effort to listen to, seeing as how I'm usually eating lunch at the time.

I forget which one this referred to: "How many Poles does it take to change the world? One." Was it Lech Walesa or John Paul II? Either way, you got the idea the jokes were going to stop. This week, I hope no one is telling the jokes.
 
Mike Huckabee just said they were in an old Russian miliatary plane from the Soviet era. Wow. No one, especially world leaders, should be in an old Russian plane.

It was the no. 2 story after the new Republican faction in Texas--an opportunity to promote his Fox News show.

Tiger losing the Masters was no. 3. I thought he was devoting a lot of time to Tiger until I realized that, no, he was praising a man who is faithful to his wife.
 
vchimpanzee said:
Mike Huckabee just said they were in an old Russian miliatary plane from the Soviet era. Wow. No one, especially world leaders, should be in an old Russian plane.
Click to expand...

This is how rumors get started. The aircraft they were in was a Tupolev TU-154, a three engined jet that is similar in style to an older Boeing 727. However, the TU-154 continued to be manufactured for many years beyond the 727. Many airlines in the former Soviet bloc still utilize these aircraft for commercial flights, as do a number of governments. Although it's safety record isn't the best, it's not the worst either and many of the crashes had more to do with lackluster maintenance than with a design flaw. Talk to pilots and they'll tell you that it's a pretty good aircraft.

The Polish Air Force jet in question was 20 years old, which is younger than Air Force One and close to 1/2 of the aircraft in the fleets of airlines such as United, American and Delta. So, it's not like this was some 1950's piece of junk that had pieces hanging from the fuselage.

Yes, there had been some discussion in the Polish government about replacing these aircraft with new Boeings. But bear in mind that there was a political component that that opinion as the Poles aren't enamored with the Russians these days. However, the government elected to forgo the expenditure at the time. Given what's happened, they may well order some new jets now - even though pilot/communication errors are thought to be the cause. But the jet itself had nothing to do with what happened. Under the same circumstances (and piloting), a Boeing 737 would have done the same thing. They aren't resistant to trees.

Not trying to pick on you about this, vchimpanzee - but you inadvertently showcased just how poorly this big story was covered and analyzed by the US media. What you gleaned from the story (and the way it was told) was represented by your comment. And the only way for you to learn what really happened was to go on the internet and find it for yourself. Which proves the point I was trying to make.
 
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