"Ear witness"

There are days when I regret my journalism major. It is not always the most honorable profession.

At 11 p.m. last night, I did something that I have not done in months: I watched CNN. I watched news. I have not watched it on the advice of doctors that news programs and televangelists increase depression because of their "dooms day" tones.

Yet, last night as I flipped through the television channels, I saw that the 12 miners had survived. As we know, this was a misrepresentation of fact. The media must carry a huge dose of blame for the "miscommunication" in Sago overnight.

In September 2001, all of the news outlets took calls and reported events of twin towers' demise from so called "ear witnesses." These people didn't actually "see" events, but they heard screams, rumbles and their information was reported by news outlets as fact.

This is exactly what transpired overnight. As much as I admire Anderson Cooper for boldly thanking God for the blessings of the lives of the 12 miners, he and his producers pulled "ear witnesses" before their cameras and reported their stories as if they were confirmed fact.

I recall Anderson Cooper saying several times that they were trying to independently confirm the reports. I remember so many faces spreading the news of the miracle of the survival of the 12 missing miners.

Around 4:30 a.m. Central, an MSNBC correspondent said that he was ashamed for the role that he played in reporting the survival of the miners when in fact there was a sole survivor. I admired his candor and he was obviously shaken by the events and his role in reporting erroneous information. He displayed integrity. I have not seen any integrity from the media since then.

I have not watched reporting of the events since 5:30 this morning, so I do not know whether any other reporter has voiced their apology. However, the reporting that I saw from the morning news teams, including Soledad O'Brien, whom I have always admired, ignored the media's role in the dissemination of erroneous information.

In the rush to "scoop" other news outlets, reporters have lost their ability to research and confirm a story BEFORE it airs. In the rush of "eye witness news," credibility has been lost.

This brings to mind an incident that transpired when President Reagan was shot. I was watching Peter Jennings and he reported that James Brady had died at the hospital. Minutes later, he had to retract the report; as we know, Brady didn't die. Jennings-with an extremely stern look on his face ordered the staff, get this story right before you give it to me. He said it live and directly to his staff and then he apologized for the incorrect report. It was a stunning moment in a stunning series of events.

When did the grapevine become the best source of information? We know that it is the most unreliable source that exists, yet here we are-dare I say, again.

No one person or bit of information should be singled out for the errors that transpired overnight. However, if the media must learn that "ear witnesses" are not confirmed sources of information. Perhaps we share in the blame for being so "hungry" for information that we do not want to wait for it.

It is a part of the industrialization of America. Remember when waiting two hours for a roast to cook seemed like a lifetime? Now 30 seconds on high in the micro wave seems like an eternity. Perhaps the whole point of the matter is that we need to "slow down" on many, many levels.

I regret tuning in to the reporting last night. It's not that I don't care, but that I was so sucked into the events again and that I took the reporting as gospel, too. No one wanted the events to transpire as they did. No one person is to blame, but in my "hunger" for knowledge, I have to accept some of the blame for what happened last night, too. I wanted to know NOW-and sadly I was told in the moment a truth that was wanted so much that it ended up hurting the families of the miners.

My prayers are with the families of the victims and of surviving miner Randall McCloy, Jr. along with the disbelief and continued prayers of a stunned nation.