[gbrasch]

I read and watched with sorrow the thread and news link about the RV crash in the SLC area. In the news story, there were two errors by the reporter in the 2 minute segment. Years ago when I went through my safety courses at USC, an instructor made an interesting presentation about the media. He pointed out their lack of expertise in aviation, and that our classroom was filled with aviation professionals. He encouraged us to return to our communities and offer our expertise to our local media outlets when needed. I took his advice and did so. That was 20 years ago and as recently as a few months ago I was consulted by a local TV station about a fatal helicopter crash here. I believe Bob Collins did that very thing recently on aviation security. So I would ask the same to the flying professionals on this website, contact your local press, make ourselves available, lets help them get the facts straight when these events occur.....Glenn

 

[StickandRudder]

Especially in the experimental community, there's a lot of inaccurate perceptions out there amongst the uninformed (media). My non-pilot friends hear me say "experimental" and they think I'm some sort of test pilot or flying an airplane that's "unproven."

On an aside note, any idea what caused that -6 to go down? I'm a human factors major so I'm always curious about what causes these accidents.

 

[John Clark]

Glenn is right. In general, the media knows very little about aviation. And many other fields for that matter. Offering to help get the story straight is a great idea, but great care must be taken. AOPA has good advice on how to handle the press.

Here is an 11 year old item on the subject:

http://www.aopa.org/members/files/pilot/2000/press0002.html

I read and watched with sorrow the thread and news link about the RV crash in the SLC area. In the news story, there were two errors by the reporter in the 2 minute segment. Years ago when I went through my safety courses at USC, an instructor made an interesting presentation about the media. He pointed out their lack of expertise in aviation, and that our classroom was filled with aviation professionals. He encouraged us to return to our communities and offer our expertise to our local media outlets when needed. I took his advice and did so. That was 20 years ago and as recently as a few months ago I was consulted by a local TV station about a fatal helicopter crash here. I believe Bob Collins did that very thing recently on aviation security. So I would ask the same to the flying professionals on this website, contact your local press, make ourselves available, lets help them get the facts straight when these events occur.....Glenn

John Clark ATP, CFI

FAAST Team Representative
EAA Flight Advisor
RV8 N18U "Sunshine"
KSBA

 

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

Insert my comments from about 100 other VAF threads on the subject here.

 

[SilverEagle2]

I too was saddened. I base out of U42 which was a stones throw from this incident. My kids attend school near this one. I know local RV-6 drivers and was very worried.

My biggest beef with the media was that they were posting pictures without review. Some showed the deceased still in the plane. Fortunately they took them down quickly when advised.

The next thing they jumped on was that the plane was an "experimental kit home built plane" as though it was the cause of the accident. Fortunately, some good advocates here were interviewed to show that "experimental" does not mean shoddy construction or dangerous.

It would be better if they took the time to educate themselves, but accurate reporting is not always what attracts the viewers. Sensationalizing does.

Heck, look at another story here in Utah about "Body Found in Susan Powell Case" when in fact...cadaver dogs that indicated on a scent was all they had. Sensationalism at it's finest.

Even when they do get the facts, they will still pick and choose what to use in the story and still not get right.

Please keep the pilot and family in you thoughts and prayers.

 

[Torch76]

I'll Bite And Provide a Dissenting Opinion

Never Talk to the Media

I believe that there are better ways to promote aviation, via outreach to your community. It could involve an advertised "open hangar" day for the public to come and learn about GA and just poke around participating pilot's hangars. Or, best of all, provide short rides to people so that they can see what flying is really about. Local EAA chapters and AOPA should continue their advocacy work. Public trust is not won on the 6 o'clock news, because we (aviation) are usually spoken about in the news in a negative light (crash, airline flight delays, noise complaints, pilot showing up intoxicated, etc.). Trust is won through personal experience with GA and the people who make it great (you).

Talking to the media is, unfortunately, not the answer.
You take time to educate them in an interview, and then your response is cut to a 5 second TV clip, that is easily misconstrued/ misunderstood by everyone who missed the preceding 2 minutes of your spiel. Or they do not directly quote you and misinterpret what you say.
Example: At my University, we had an Archer crankshaft fail in flight with a student and CFI in IMC at 3000' a couple miles from the airport. They ended up putting it down in a field, no injuries, plane back in service. The newspaper article stated that the pilot "overshot Willard airport" during the emergency landing, which they definitely did not. Point being: the media cannot be trusted to get even basic facts straight.

My dad, an airline captain, told my whole family that if the worst should ever happen to him while flying, that we are to never talk to the media. This is a position taken by many friends of mine in the military. Pops was in the AF too, so maybe that explains his position.

Maybe I shouldn't be so cynical at the age of 23, but that's just my opinion.

Technique only.

 

[DonFromTX]

I agree with Torch76. At a recent EAA Leadership Academy I attended, this was brought up as well. Since often an EAA member will be sought out for an opinion, and we might feel honored to spout off about flying and causes of crashes, the guidance is not to give information, refer instead to EAA HQ or the FAA if there seems to be a need for clarification of the circumstances of a crash.

 

[XOverZero]

But wait...it gets worse.

Every time I'm reminded of the level of media ignorance with which we have to contend it appalls me. It causes me to favor the ?don?t even talk to the media? camp.

By merest accident, last night I caught a few seconds of news on one of the major networks while I was searching for more on the Reno incident. In a different story, the announcer was reporting on the imminent demise of a NASA satellite that has run out of fuel and which will drop out of orbit in the next few days. Describing the reentry he said, "The satellite will likely burn up when it passes through the scorching hot ring that surrounds the earth."

He actually said that.

 

[LettersFromFlyoverCountry]

Never Talk to the Media

How is this logical?

I'm in the media. I've done dozens of stories that are very positive, informative, accurate and enhance the public's understanding of aviation to its benefit -- ahem, that would be you.

Maybe, a better piece of advice is the same one we give the media in our high falutin' way: Know the facts. In this case, know which members of the media are knowledgeable and able to tell your story in a compelling and accurate way, and which ones can't. (Miles O'Brien is very good and so is James Fallows and, surprise, they're both pilots and know what they're talking about. They might even be more skilled pilots and more knowledgeable about aviation than half the pilots who think they're not. Micheline Maynard, a New York Times aviation writer, comes from an aviation family, although she is not a pilot. ) One of the dirty little secrets of the media is good stories get passed around and get "repackaged." He who controls the theme, controls the message.

Maybe you all missed Glenn's point in the post that started the thread: Proactivity works!

And, by the way, media is a plural noun, not a singular one. Using it as singular to suggest a uniform conduct, knowledge, and ability is to spread misinformation, possibly intentionally.

If you think MOST of the media is ignorant, fine, get off your tushes, stop complaining, and find the good ones, and then work with them to provide them with enough fascinating material so they will overwhelm those who aren't. Paste their links on Twitter and Facebook, drop 'em a line and give 'em an "attaboy" (while you tell them another interesting story you think they should tell), post on VAF about them and let other aviators know about them. Contact their employers and let them know you appreciate their work. Fly a reporter!

Honestly, aviation, grow up.