Quote:
Originally Posted by kb2vxa
What amazes me is how in recent times many such incidents are leaked to the press. In my 7 years of employment at Newark Liberty International I witnessed and heard on my scanner (in the airport) more life threatening incidents in the air and on the ground than I can count and not one, not a single one ever got in the news. Remember the terrorist bombs and Lockerbee? 9-11 was NOT America's wake up call, the authorities were on alert long before only quietly until the dam broke. I lost count of how many live bombs were found aboard planes and defused, hardly a day went by there for a while they didn't find one primed and ready to go and the public was none the wiser.
That raises the question of who and why is out to destroy confidence in air travel by leaking internal affairs to the public. Incidents occur each and every day, some of them major, the vast majority are handled quietly but as we all know even when something minor leaks out it is sensationalized by the press and turns into a near disaster in the eyes of the public.
Here we have a case of the FAA jumping the gun in an attempt to head off their trial by press (covering their backside) by convicting two men without so much as a hearing, a desperation move if I ever saw one. One may expect them to be washed out in due course but now they're being hung out to dry before due process has even begun. So just who are supplying the clothes pins? Look in the mirror and note the crowd standing behind you.
LOOK! Up in the sky! Is it a bird? Is it Superman? It's a plane...
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I'll have to agree with this overall assessment. It is my belief that the point in time where sensationalism all started is when that notorious white Bronco was barreling down the freeway in Southern California. It truly defined a changing media. Now there was another point in time that marked a change in reporting to say the least. This was indeed September, 11 2001. So we read that F-16s were on alert due to the loss of communications. That is why this very event got so much attention by the media. In a post 9/11 world I wouldn't expect the media not to report on it.
Now not all stories are in fact reported. I don't recall ever hearing on the news about a plane that landed on the taxiway in Atlanta. Needless to say, many overseas commercial aviation mishaps go largely unreported as well.
Hold on and fasten your seat belts as you become part of the sensationalism ride that with time you soon discover that it is you who may play the part in tomorrows headlines. What lies ahead is a sign post that reads, "YouTube".