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Stop the presses. The horror story unraveling in central Utah just lost the plot. Tragically.
The doomed efforts to assess the fate of six miners missing after a cave-in was the daily go-to lead for news outlets of all media for nearly two weeks. The "race to save trapped Utah miners" [LA Times, August 9] never quite seemed real -- a human interest spectacle rivaling that of serial programs such as "Lost" -- with an utter lack of real reporting to boot.
This morning's headline (LAT | AP | Salt Lake Trib) would seem to bring some sort of resolution to the fate of the six miners, but with three confirmed dead and more injured after a tragic cave-in halted hasty rescue efforts, six miners are still "missing."
As Americans, we're constantly reminded to "never forget" and to consider "safety first." We were also led to believe that the tearful Robert Murray, co-owner of the Crandall Canyon mining operation was too sympathetic a character to be a shady businessman who cared more for greed than safety. Rescuing, if not confirming the fate of six missing miners was his sole concern and priority.
It seemed that however Murray Energy Corp.'s crack disaster aversion PR team crafted the daily presser, the media dutifully relayed it to the world with very little independent investigation and even less objectivity.
10-year-old Adilene Lerma's father, Natalio, is a rescue team member at the Crandall Canyon mine disaster. He was uninjured in last night's cave-in (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong).
The initial mine collapse, on August 6 at 2:48 a.m. MT triggered a measurable, 3.9 magnitude seismic event. 
Early reports inadequately balanced Bob Murray's insistence (with all signs of guilt obscured by tears) that an actual earthquake triggered the cave-in and not the reverse, as scientific experts quickly concluded.
Many news outlets overlooked -- or at least gave a fair shake -- to Murray's false hopes for the next ten days. The feds (U.S. Mine Safety Board) backed Murray without question, claiming nothing indicated Murray Energy Corp could be at fault in such a disaster.
A stout, balding superman, or at least the disenfranchised, yet well-intentioned leader of a tragically misguided rescue mission, Murray was determined to save the missing miners by any means necessary. Smoke them out of their holes.
"I will not leave this mine until those men are rescued, dead or alive," declared Murray on August 7.
Richard Stickler, Assistant Secretary of Labor and director of the U.S. Mine Safety Board, has insisted that the feds would not begin an investigation into the causes of the mine disaster until after the rescue operation was complete. Stickler, a former coal mining industry executive, was one of President Bush's controversial recess appointments, buddied into the gig despite twice failing Senate confirmation. At last count, Bush has made 167 personnel appointments that normally require Senate confirmation.
This is an unbelievable age in which our government is somehow incapable of preventing the most unimaginable disasters. The story of Bob Murray, the U.S. Mine Safety Board, and the tragic Crandall Canyon mine disaster is turning very ugly -- apparently in a not-made-for-TV way.
As recently as last year, Murray lobbied the Republican-controlled Congress to NOT pass stricter mining safety laws in the wake of the Sago disaster in West Virginia that killed 12.
This is not a blame-the-media tirade by any means. The coverage of the horrific spectacle of the Crandall Mine catastrophe is nowhere near as appalling and disturbing as the event itself. News media can be revived with the return of a genuine watchdog mentality.
For more dirt-digging and disbelief, see Arianna Huffington's August 14 column, "Why Are the New York Times and So Much of the Traditional* Media Neglecting a Vital Part of the Utah Mine Collapse Story?.
For more on Stickler and the sad state of our government's careless regard for safety and security, see Olbermann below (from Thursday's Countdown). I'm afraid to hear what KO and other reporters uncover today, in light of last night's tragically failed rescue mission.
Photos of Richard Stickler and Robert Murray both AP/Rick Bowmer.
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Forget the miners. How much money is this costing the mine owners? Thats the real tragedy. Oh the poor P%L.
I just finished watching Kirk Douglas in the classic noir "Ace In The Hole" as a enterprising news reporter who uses a guy trapped in a mine to his own advantage and eventually the place becomes a literal media circus.
There are some strong similarities to this recent Utah fiasco.
thanks for reporting on this.
Now here is an article worth my time. Great story; excellent, professional writing. Thank you for this.
To be fair, the coverage I heard (on NPR) really let you conclude for yourself whether or not it was an earthquake. They don't need to spell it out for you when the dots practically connect themselves.
I don't want media to wimp out and "let you conclude for yourself" when the science is clear. Seismologist had stated concusively that there was no earthquake, and that the seismic readings they got was consistent with a collapse. If you understand the way seismic readings work--as anyone living here should--then you know that this conculsion was easy to make. Too many people don't understand how these things work, though, and somehow think there must be some gray area, or that it's a matter of opinion.
Media gives too much credence to people who don't understand science in the interest of balanced covereage. Take global warming. One researcher out of a hundred might say it's caused exculsively by chicken farts, and media gives that one as much time as they give the other 99. Sometimes, when a fact is conclusive, media just needs to give it to us, not give voice to every dissenter with an agenda.
guest 6: well said.
There's certainly no "fairness doctrine" that encourages the spreading of bullshit. Also, objectivity should be leashed to the truth but should never seem forced, especially in a CYA kind of way. Then again, many members of the media are highly underpaid and have complete imbeciles for bosses!
But yeah, just because Fox News has the ratings doesn't mean you have to follow their lead in helping corrupt people/governments/corporations/mining operations to cover their asses.
LOL..Arianna Huffington for comments...priceless.