RE: [californiadisasters] bigbear /dormer - media

We have a Lesson Learned yesterday regarding media coverage and rumor control.

 

Dorner's death was assumed when media was first reporting a recovered body. But the remains weren't actually found until hours after the fire started ... about 6 hours after the media initially reported it.

 

It didn't help that the San Bernardino SO apparently had called a halt to the manhunt effort after the cabin fire started. They were acting as if they knew Dorner had died in the cabin. The SO actions appeared to confirm a body had been recovered before the cabin went up in flames.

 

But no reporter was explaining how and when the body was recovered during that period. No source was credited for the initial information regarding a recovered body, and no details or confirmation from a reliable source followed ... which should have been a red flag. But the media fed each other the rumor and ran with it.

 

LAPD said no body was recovered yet, that the fire site was still too hot to search, then the SO confirmed it. But there were already articles and media announcements all over the TV and Internet saying a body was found in the cabin, with DNA tests pending to confirm it was Dorner.

 

The media scrambled and the public was confused for about 6 hours until San Bernardino SO announced charred remains they believe to be Dorner's were found in the burned cabin.

 

This was a good example of media spreading unconfirmed information to the public ... who spread it further on social media, etc. Not unexpected that we got misleading information yesterday. While not all people trust the media to provide unbiased and accurate reporting, the public should expect media misinformation and public confusion in any higher visibility incident with a lot of moving parts, particularly with multiple agencies involved. Then hope the authorities are monitoring media (and social media) and the PIO is prompt with the press releases/press conference for rumor control and providing some accuracy in a fluid situation.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jorene

 

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From: Julie [mailto:zulie55@gmail.com]

Suspects body found in cabin reports say.
http://www.pe.com/local-news/reports/dorner/dorner-headlines/20130212-dorner-manhunt-suspect-s-body-found-in-cabin-reports-say.ece

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