best of cc.com Big Four Spindrift Couloir TR

[matthewmc23]

I just spent the whole day trying to explain our outting to friends, aquaintances and family who were contaminated with terrible dramaticized media coverage. (No disrespect to S&R) but if you're relying on S&R for information to go into a story that everyone in Washington is going to see on the tube, and you've known them to be shaky on the details during a search-(understandable, they've got a lot going on), then why seek information from them again and again. Do you even care about your reputation at all? Do feel any ethical obligation to your profession? This is why I absolutely fucking hate TV reporting. It's rushed (by hourly deadlines and fast competition) and the reporting is cheesy, halfhazard, AND OFTEN FAKED! I'm freelance still photographer and I've seen it first hand MANY TIMES. The biggest problem is that the vast majority of viewers out there take this stuff as truth because they don't understand media-and media (especially TV) certainly don't understand adventurous endevours whatsoever. People aren't informed by your reporting, they become dumber for having viewed it! And goddamnit, I saw your fucking helicopter (big King5 logo on the tail) hovering over us knocking snow and other shit outta the trees on us for a good half hour at one point. Go report on a fucking kids bicycle parade (where you present less of an objective hazard for those below) and quit jumping to conclusions that make wives, girlfriends, family, and friends worry themselves to tears while we doing a little late night walk out. And by the way, did anyone mention in your goddamn story that WE HAD A GREAT TIME UP THERE???

[cs]

Welcome to the media.........

[allthumbs]

I agree 100% the news sux

[matthewmc23]

no shit. Next time I'm gonna try to shoot 'em outta the sky with a flare or something.

[layton]

Goddamn right Matt! Fun fun fun!

 

[cs]

That would be cool but that guy that is flying that ship loves his job. Just do not watch the news and tell your friends and family that the media is made up of a bunch of ass wipes........

[allthumbs]

michael_layton said:

Goddamn right Matt! Fun fun fun!

Greg's got a .45 and a shovel. Think anyone'll miss 'em?

 

btw guys great TR

 

hasta, media

[dr._jay]

it pretty much puts a big buzzkill on the end of a great climb, and for what purpose? it definitely makes my non-climbing family much more nervous about my future trips when all they see are the epics. and i too want to know the answer to matt's question: why did no one mention that they really liked it?

[JayB]

Dos Hombres Muy Macho.

 

Way to go out there and get on it, amigos.

[Billygoat]

In all fairness to SAR, miscommunications are the norm. I used to be an EMT with the Fire Dept. and it was common to get unclear and wrong descriptions of the scene. For example; We were once paged out to a man kicked in the chest by a horse, a pretty serious if not critical injury. When we arrived, there was a man laying on the groud by a table saw. It turns out the table saw kicked a piece of wood back and it hit him in the chest and felt, to him, like a horse kicked him. If some one was listening to the scanner they would have incorrect information describing what took place.

[matthewmc23]

trask said:

michael_layton said:

Goddamn right Matt! Fun fun fun!

Greg's got a .45 and a shovel. Think anyone'll miss 'em?

 

Seriously. My Glock .40 would probably perform quite well also.

[mattp]

I rushed home to see the report on the 5:00 news tonight. "See" is the wrong word, since we don't have cable and TV reception is very poor at our house, but through the snowstorm on my TV it looked as if they used Mike's pictures and I heard them mention that the "lost" climbers got down on their own -- a small victory, perhaps, but I for one am glad that this fact was reported. And my guess is that NewsTips and King5News got that piece of information from cascadeclimbers.com. Here's to cc.com and to King5News and NewsTips and their interest in talking with us!

[matthewmc23]

Billygoat said:

In all fairness to SAR, miscommunications are the norm. I used to be an EMT with the Fire Dept. and it was common to get unclear and wrong descriptions of the scene. For example; We were once paged out to a man kicked in the chest by a horse, a pretty serious if not critical injury. When we arrived, there was a man laying on the groud by a table saw. It turns out the table saw kicked a piece of wood back and it hit him in the chest and felt, to him, like a horse kicked him. If some one was listening to the scanner they would have incorrect information describing what took place.

 

I understand miscommunications among rescuers, and I'm not faulting any of those folks. Nor do helicopter pilots deserve to be shot outta the sky. But reporters and news anchors are paid to report on factual events. The problem is that "we" trust them to decide what "news" is and they often abuse this privaledge by inventing whatever "story" they feel will draw the most attention to their commercial break. I've interned at two newspapers as a still (as in 35mm) photographer. One of those papers has an outstanding reputation. I didn't meet a single reporter or photograher at either of my internships (or at any other newspaper for that matter) who tossed around incomplete, unconfirmed information the way TV reporters and news anchors do. The TV newsmedia benefits from a "I saw it on TV with my own eyes so it must be true" buffer that no other journalism outlet is protected by. Therefor, they have to do a tenth of the work only to redeem GIANT paybacks from their advertising revenue-which gives them plenty of time to do their makeup between takes. I wouldn't have been surprised last night if we had come out to the parking lot only to find a TV cameraman who wanted us walk by his lens a few more times so he could improve his shot. We should be merciless in our critiquing of the media because they are filters of reality. When they report poorly they create misconceptions that lead to teary misinformed family members or whole countries feeling justified in going to war with non threatening nations.

[jordop]

 

The TV newsmedia benefits from a "I saw it on TV with my own eyes so it must be true" buffer that no other journalism outlet is protected by.

 

well put

 

I still think you guys should've taken the mines.

[Marko]

A very, very, VERY cool climb gentlemen! Yeah buddy! I'm so inspired right now I'm heading out for a Guinness.

[NEWSTIPS]

matthewmc23 said:

but if you're relying on S&R for information to go into a story that everyone in Washington is going to see on the tube, and you've known them to be shaky on the details during a search-(understandable, they've got a lot going on), then why seek information from them again and again. ...And goddamnit, I saw your fucking helicopter (big King5 logo on the tail) hovering over us knocking snow and other shit outta the trees on us for a good half hour at one point...And by the way, did anyone mention in your goddamn story that WE HAD A GREAT TIME UP THERE???

 

1. If S&R is the lead agency on the event, then of course we're going to get our information from them. If there is someone else available to us, then we talk to them, otherwise, we have to make do with what we have.

 

2. It could not have been our helicopter hovering over you on Thursday. Our chopper went into the shop for maintenance on Wednesday night and was in about 100 pieces by the time we were alerted to the SAR operation.

 

3. How on earth could we have mentioned that you had a good time? We didn't know who you were, didn't know when you were coming down, and didn't want to speculate on what you were *feeling*. Having had no personal contact with you, there was no grounds for reporting that you had a good time up there.

 

I understand that climbers get frustrated with the ways SARs and their hobbies as a whole are portrayed in the media, and I actually appreciate getting feedback, but when it's scribed as a personal attack, it benefits no one and serves only to anger all parties involved.

 

As an aside, if anyone would like to come to the station one day and see what it's like up on my end of things, I'd be glad to show you what we deal with and the way we have to handle the volume of information coming at us. My days off are Wednesday and Thursday and I'm happy to give you a look-see into the news world (if you think you can stomach it without whipping out your sidearm).

[allthumbs]

[king5news]

matthewmc23 said:

I just spent the whole day trying to explain our outting to friends, aquaintances and family who were contaminated with terrible dramaticized media coverage. (No disrespect to S&R) but if you're relying on S&R for information to go into a story that everyone in Washington is going to see on the tube, and you've known them to be shaky on the details during a search-(understandable, they've got a lot going on), then why seek information from them again and again. Do you even care about your reputation at all? Do feel any ethical obligation to your profession? This is why I absolutely fucking hate TV reporting. It's rushed (by hourly deadlines and fast competition) and the reporting is cheesy, halfhazard, AND OFTEN FAKED! I'm freelance still photographer and I've seen it first hand MANY TIMES. The biggest problem is that the vast majority of viewers out there take this stuff as truth because they don't understand media-and media (especially TV) certainly don't understand adventurous endevours whatsoever. People aren't informed by your reporting, they become dumber for having viewed it! And goddamnit, I saw your fucking helicopter (big King5 logo on the tail) hovering over us knocking snow and other shit outta the trees on us for a good half hour at one point. Go report on a fucking kids bicycle parade (where you present less of an objective hazard for those below) and quit jumping to conclusions that make wives, girlfriends, family, and friends worry themselves to tears while we doing a little late night walk out. And by the way, did anyone mention in your goddamn story that WE HAD A GREAT TIME UP THERE???

 

so much for your credibility. our chopper has been in the shop for three days -- you COULDN'T have seen it up there.

[fredrogers]

king5news said:

matthewmc23 said:

I just spent the whole day trying to explain our outting to friends, aquaintances and family who were contaminated with terrible dramaticized media coverage. (No disrespect to S&R) but if you're relying on S&R for information to go into a story that everyone in Washington is going to see on the tube, and you've known them to be shaky on the details during a search-(understandable, they've got a lot going on), then why seek information from them again and again. Do you even care about your reputation at all? Do feel any ethical obligation to your profession? This is why I absolutely fucking hate TV reporting. It's rushed (by hourly deadlines and fast competition) and the reporting is cheesy, halfhazard, AND OFTEN FAKED! I'm freelance still photographer and I've seen it first hand MANY TIMES. The biggest problem is that the vast majority of viewers out there take this stuff as truth because they don't understand media-and media (especially TV) certainly don't understand adventurous endevours whatsoever. People aren't informed by your reporting, they become dumber for having viewed it! And goddamnit, I saw your fucking helicopter (big King5 logo on the tail) hovering over us knocking snow and other shit outta the trees on us for a good half hour at one point. Go report on a fucking kids bicycle parade (where you present less of an objective hazard for those below) and quit jumping to conclusions that make wives, girlfriends, family, and friends worry themselves to tears while we doing a little late night walk out. And by the way, did anyone mention in your goddamn story that WE HAD A GREAT TIME UP THERE???

 

so much for your credibility. our chopper has been in the shop for three days -- you COULDN'T have seen it up there.

 

Umm, well pissing matches with the local media aside, nice fawkin' job gents. Glad you made it back safe and under your own power. I'm impressed.

 

My own feelings about the casualty-vampiresque reportage of the media aside, one does have to give minor props to the 2 folks at King5 who try (emphasis on the word TRY) to keep their talking heads straight. No word from KOMO, KIRO, or god forbid the KCPQ mutants on this board, eh? But maybe that's for the good of the world.

 

More lost kittens at 11.

 

Fred.

[Dave_Schuldt]

Matt, I feel your pain. I spent 3 years as a bike mesenger, about one a year the media would do a report on us. Most of the time they were verry lame. I felt used when a TV crew inerviewed me after some cyclist (not a mesenger) got killed running a red light. When I saw the report i wish I had kept my mouth shut. They had a preconcieved notion that we were all crazy. I felt thier attitude was patronising. I got sick and tired of people thinking we were all crazy.

 

TV local news aims it's programing at women between the age of 35 and 45. I don't blame them, they are producing what the masses want to see, like any good capitalist. We all have to make a living some how.

 

King 5 and Newstips, there was a thread awhile ago about trying to explain climbing to nonclimbing friends and relatives. It might shed some light on Matts frustration. I think it was started by Col Von Spanker.

 

Everone needs an epic now and then to prove to themselves that they CAN do it. IT FEELS GREAT TO ACOMPLISH SOME THING HARD!!!

[Dave_Schuldt]

My own feelings about the casualty-vampiresque reportage of the media aside, one does have to give minor props to the 2 folks at King5 who try (emphasis on the word TRY) to keep their talking heads straight. No word from KOMO, KIRO, or god forbid the KCPQ mutants on this board, eh? But maybe that's for the good of the world.

 

More lost kittens at 11.

 

Fred

 

THAT IS SOME FUNNY SHIT!!!

[fredrogers]

Dave_Schuldt said:

My own feelings about the casualty-vampiresque reportage of the media aside, one does have to give minor props to the 2 folks at King5 who try (emphasis on the word TRY) to keep their talking heads straight. No word from KOMO, KIRO, or god forbid the KCPQ mutants on this board, eh? But maybe that's for the good of the world.

 

More lost kittens at 11.

 

Fred

 

THAT IS SOME FUNNY SHIT!!!

 

Dave, granted both us us should be doing something more productive than posting here on a Friday night (oh, wait, I'm drinking too), but I'm glad I could amuse.

 

It's my firm belief that Leslie Miller is Tony Ventrella's secret love child , and that Steve Poole is THE man and should have a battle cage grudgematch with Jeff Renner. Or, perhaps better yet, those two should tag team against the Wappler's (although, frankly, Larry Schick is da man when it somes to ski forecasting).

 

But, damnit, I'm thread drifting and that's wrong. Sorry Mike and Matt, I still think you guys kicked some serious ass.

[fleblebleb]

NEWSTIPS said:

...I'm happy to give you a look-see into the news world (if you think you can stomach it without whipping out your sidearm)...

 

Gotsta hand it to tips, she can dish it out

 

Hey, king 5 people, if you're going to talk it shouldn't you at least try walking it as well? A sport climb perhaps, or a gentle alpine climb like da Toof or Ingalls - assuming you could find someone to lend you a hand? I think a lot of us appreciate that you're trying to become more informed but it's still all talk. There is really no way of understanding climbing without getting at least a little bit gripped.

[chucK]

This has all the makings of a bad TV movie

[NEWSTIPS]

fleblebleb said:

Hey, king 5 people, if you're going to talk it shouldn't you at least try walking it as well? A sport climb perhaps, or a gentle alpine climb like da Toof or Ingalls - assuming you could find someone to lend you a hand? I think a lot of us appreciate that you're trying to become more informed but it's still all talk. There is really no way of understanding climbing without getting at least a little bit gripped.

 

Actually, I would be happy to come to the great out of doors with you guys, but I am as novice as novice can get and I didn't figure any of you experienced folks would be interested in taking a newbie out. I've never done ANY hiking or climbing before. There ain't a lot of mountains where I grew up in Tennessee!