Flight 370: A search for the plane or for ratings?

I could start this article by relaying all of the facts regarding the disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight 370. As this is a Comment Article however, I’ll be expressing my opinions as well. Unfortunately, major news outlets such as CNN seem to be unable to make that distinction. When actual facts are scarce, the media create their own set of “facts” through speculation and guesswork. The level of journalistic malpractice seen on the 24-hour news channels is horrifically cringeworthy, to say the least. 

CNN, in an attempt to capitalise on the flight 370 phenomenon and get a surge in ratings, has been devoting almost all of its broadcast minutes towards covering the story. Even when there is, in fact, no story to be told. Viewers were bombarded with headlines such as CNN’s “Breaking News: New Information Emerging” (or MSNBC’s “Breaking News: No Trace Has Been Found Of The Plane Or The 239 People Aboard”). In other words, not breaking news. In CNN’s quest to keep the public ‘informed’, news anchors reported on practically everything that’s currently bobbing along the Indian Ocean. The headline “Breaking News: Objects Related to Flight 370 Possibly Found” suggested to me one thing — an unusually large pile of whale crap had the potential to become nightly news. Unfortunately, the objects in question were neither related to the airliner nor were they whale crap.

Speaking of whale crap, CNN’s coverage of the airliner disappearance didn’t just make ‘breaking news’ and ‘waiting for news’ one and the same — it also led to the use of comical set pieces and ludicrous speculation. News Anchor Don Lemon brought on a toy plane during CNN’s coverage last week in an attempt to explain how the plane could have been hijacked. Instead of reporting facts, Lemon played a game of show-and-tell-nothing in front of the cameras by awkwardly moving the model plane about in a series of swooshes while pointing out parts of the plane that even a 6 year-old could identify. He didn’t just stop there. Lemon later asked a panel of aviation experts if the disappearance could have been caused by a black hole. Yes, you did read that correctly. It appears as though, in its desperation for ratings, CNN’s newsroom has turned into a junior school.

News Anchor Don Lemon brought on a toy plane during CNN’s coverage last week in an attempt to explain how the plane could have been hijacked.

Not to be outdone, other news outlets such as HLN have hopped on the bandwagon of absurdity by interviewing a psychic alongside a qualified 777 airliner pilot. Bringing on this psychic, who is neither an expert in aviation nor has any concrete evidence to back up her claims, undermines the credibility of any certified aviation expert as it suggests that the two are on par when it comes to discerning the whereabouts of the plane. Not only is this a devastating blow for journalism, it adds insult to injury for the families of those onboard the missing airliner, as HLN have given a platform to someone who profits off of other people’s emotions by providing them with a false sense of hope. A truly sickening prospect made a reality.

Yet I suppose the mainstream media and this psychic are cut from the same cloth of deception. After all, both end up profiting from the misinformation, false sense of hope and utter nonsense that they provide for viewers and afflicted families alike. Journalism is supposed to be about informing the audience about the facts of a story, not filling airtime with speculation and sensationalism simply because it’s commercially successful. It’s not just unprofessional, it’s morally bankrupt and downright disgusting.

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Photo: flickr/aero_icarus