Journalism or rankings?

[Otaku]

I started this thread cuz Moolooman mentioned something in another thread that I thought deserved its own topic: Journalism.

After the recent events, I'm sick of everything having to do with the media and responsible reporting. It seemed to me more like fear-mongering than anything else, especially for those of us that were actually physically being affected by the events unfolding.

Case and point, one of my friend's friend used to work for the largest journalist companies back in New Zealand before she became an ALT. Anyways, New Zealand sent a crew over to report in the early days after the quake and they asked her to tag along. They travelled up to Fukushima but couldn't get anywhere close to the site.

Then, all of a sudden I started getting panicky emails from my friend. My friend contacted me cuz they knew I was following everything unfolding. Evidently, the 'journalist' who tagged along wasn't really collecting information up there since everything was absolute chaos. Instead, she wasa surfing the news on her iphone and passing along alarming and unsubstantiated panicky emails to the rest of her friends. Really responsible, right?

I confronted this 'journalist' about the fear-mongering emails. I told her all the reasons why things were just the opposite and to stop passing along rumors. She basically responded back pulling out the 'journalist' card.

BTW, no slam on the New Zealand journalist crew but they were one of the first crews to hightail out of the area. Evidently, the entire crew panicked and took off.

I would be embarrassed to be a journalist these days...

[moolooman]

I hold the media responsible for this guy making a cock out of himself. Look at him ffs. An oven glove???
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/asia/japan-earthquake/4793365/Kiwis-nine-long-days-trying-to-leave-Japan

[Otaku]

I'm completely speechless about that one...

But, was it the media giving him the idea that oven mitts would protect from radiation or was it simply HIM being stupid?

Either way, at least he's honest about his stupidity. That's pretty genuine.