Instead of focusing coverage on sensational stories such as speculation about the cause of last week's China Airlines crash, the media should take the opportunity to inform citizens about flight safety, a mass communication scholar said yesterday.
Over the past week, local media, especially television stations, have concentrated on speculation about the cause of the crash.
Some stories cited analysis by aeronautics scientists suggesting that "extraneous forces" could have caused the aircraft to break apart into four pieces in mid-air -- as data first released by the Aviation Safety Council (ASC) showed. And these so-called extraneous forces could include a missile attack, an impact from a rocket or even a meteor, according to these reports.
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
But the council later said it needed to double-check radar data to verify whether the aircraft had indeed disintegrated into four pieces.
Still, one television report has cited "exclusive" information saying that the aircraft had spun around as many as six times before breaking apart, a phenomenon that the report said was likely caused by an extraneous force. The ASC, however, denied there were any data indicating the aircraft had spun.
"These examples show that the so-called exclusive or authoritative information is all based on speculation when evidence is still insufficient," said Hu Yu-wei (
Hu said that although the cause of the accident is a concern of journalists and the average person, there are other angles worth reporting.
For example, the media may discuss the function and organization of the ASC and what requirements an airline must meet in the maintenance of its aircraft, Hu said.
Also, the media may provide people with the know-how to negotiate with airlines and insurance companies to protect their rights in the event of a relative's death in a crash. Media reports could also compare the crisis-management skills of local airlines to well-respected foreign airlines, Hu added.
Meanwhile, Hu said, authorities may need to be more careful when releasing information, despite public expectations for progress in the investigation.
"Perhaps they [authorities] are under too much pressure from the media to find clues in the evidence gathered so far, and maybe they are eager to give the public an explanation for fear that they might be blamed for doing nothing. But it is just too early to draw a conclusion without sufficient evidence," Hu said.
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