Editorial Rant: Baltimore Mainstream Media Clinging To Inaccurate Reporting

From today's Baltimore Sun re: the water main break; "The rupture, which occurred about 4 a.m..."

Now hold it right there. The problem is, this is patently untrue. Every last one of the mainstream media outlets in town reported this as the time. Although I was there around 2:30AM and it was already happening, and I reported this hours before everyone else, rather than citing me as an eye witness, on scene source, they would rather continue to spout inaccurate information. (see my video report for proof their time is way off)

Am I the only one bothered by deliberate repetitions of incorrect information? My issue with this is, to me I've caught them. How many other times are numerous erroneous facts repeated over and over and we all buy into it not knowing any better? Were I not already on the scene when they were all sleeping, I would be buying into this error too.

My point is, if they're wrong and careless with accuracy on the small things, such as the time of an event, can they be trusted on the larger more weighty matters.

Want to know why they're doing this? Because on this issue, I was right, and they are wrong and it pains them to back me up or use me a source, a mere blogger. Never mind truth and accuracy, let's just be elitist towards others trying to bring "truth to the masses."

And to those who would argue this to be trivial, think about a court of law. Do you think if a witnesses time was way off and contrary to other evidence it would hold up very well? In the court of public opinion, I want to know how well do you regard our local Baltimore mainstream media in terms of accuracy.


-A.F. James MacArthur