Re: [Paddlewise] more on JFK Jr.

John Winters wrote:
<snip>Whenever the media gets involved things can go wrong. After a television
>interview I got the shock of my life to see that what I said had gotten
>horribly distorted by the editing. What came out did not remotely resemble
>what I said.<snip> Let the media get hold of it and who knows what will
happen.

I've come to the point where I completely distrust the media (though People
Magazine is better than most). Working for the British Columbia government,
I see almost everyday, how distorted the media reports news items, both in
accuracy and bias - only supperceeded by the government's spin-doctoring
when it wants to, of course :-)

On an even more personal note, recently (April 99) the newspaper ran a
short blurb on our rescue off the Storm Islands, stating that a man came
out of his kayak in heavy seas, and was not able to be assisted by his
friends, who had to call the Coast Guard.

I granted an interview after the same newspaper called me upon our safe
arrival home, only because I wanted to correct the errors of the first
report (no one went into the water). I figured they would print a small
corrective somewhere. I told the reporter that the individual in question
had started to fall into hypothermia, that no, he really wasn't up to the
crossing in the first place, but had reluctantly agreed to it, though he
never said "No", and that one of the boat's seems split and was taking on
water in heavy seas, so we decided to do a conservative bail-out and call
for help before darkness descended. I said I was scared we might loose the
hypothermic paddler, and at the time I was thinking of my family and
children. Simple, eh?

A photographer showed up at the door a half hour later, took a few shots,
the said how about one with the girls. They jumped at the chance, and
before I knew it, a picture was taken and the photographer was gone.

The next day - I was still on vacation - one of my co-workers called, mad
as can be. You SOB, she said, have you seen the paper? How could you do
that to your paddling friend (making him do the crossing), and how dare you
use your children to sensationalized the front cover of the newspaper. THE
FRONT COVER!? YIKES!

I rushed out to buy one, and sure enough, I was on the front cover with the
kids and kayak, with big headlines about praying to God that I would see my
kids again. Reading further, the paper tried to lay blame, saying it was a
"two to one decision" to cross. No wonder everyone in Victoria was mad at
me and fellow Paddlewiser Dave Blacoe. Sure we made some errors, but we are
not total as%&sho$#es. The paper stated incorrectly, also, that we were in
5 meter breaking seas, and that Dave's kayak was breaking in half! Ha! 

I took so much flack from everyone, I finally phoned the reporter, said
"Nice article, but, like, where did you get the 5 meter walls of water
breaking on us from, where did you conjure up the boat breaking in half,
and where did you get the idea that we vetoed a decision by a weaker paddler?"

The lady reporter said that they *always* make rescue at sea stories a
minimum of 5 meters, as it conveys more dramatic impact, that the two to
one thing was her interpretation, and that the kayak, if we had not got
help, "COULD have" broken up into two pieces. 

I told the reporter that, at the late age of 41, I finally figured out
where responsible journalism begins and abruptly ends - right at the very
first page! I told her I would never believe the news again, and would
treat even conservative newspapers such as hers as just another rag. I told
her she did a lot of damage to the sport and our reputations, though I did
thank her for the correct portions of the story sensitively told, and her
conclusions that indicated we were well equipped and trained, and that had
paid off in the end.

What really got to me was that almost the entire paddling community here
believed every "jot and tittle" of the report, without thinking to even ask
us first for what really happened. It was only after Dave patiently
explained to a commercial guides gathering, that some of the heat cooled
down, and the flames were not so red hot. 
  
I know some of you PW'ers are media types, and I'm not implying you are all
like the reporter I dealt with, but I still think I'll shy away from
reporters in future, unless they have a reputation widely know for accuracy
- and even than I'd be hesitant. The CBC phoned me that same day for an
interview, and did the same thing - tried to sensationalize the story,
dramatic as it was, and steer the conversation their way. I ended the short
interview flustered and upset, never being given the chance to say what I
really wanted to. Well, thanks for listening to my non-copyrighted dribble :-)

BC'in Ya 
Doug Lloyd	

***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************