Three Run Jimmy Jack

I believe the news media has lost its way. I don't know when it started or what started it, but some time in the last 5 years or so, the news has lost its credibility. An example: last week, the mayor of New Orleans guessed there might be 10,000 dead from hurricane Katrina. That in itself was a quote from someone who didn't have any data to support such a prognostication. But the media jumped on that quote and proliferated it. It sounded flashy. I read that quote in 5 or more locations on the web. Now about a week after that quote the death toll in New Orleans seems to be about 200. One fiftieth of what the media was touting. 1/50th!. Pretty large discrepancy. My theory is that subtle errors in judgement by reporters can turn stories from credible to incredible. And incredible tends to turn into non-credible. It is a fine line and we have to work harder at making sure quotes don't get in the way of or substitute for the truth. The truth is all I want out of my news coverage. I know, it is just about impossible to get unbiased data, but let's try.