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Because it’s digital we can watch it over and over…

Posted on 12 September 2009 by Ryan Erickson | Comments

In the interest of reliving my day in the command center on Friday (11 September 2009) I thought I’d post the press conference with VADM Currier, Coast Guard Chief of Staff (I liked him when he was in D13… and I like him even more now). This of course was in response to the ill-reported story from CNN (also view below the interview) on our routine training exercise. But I’ll say it was interesting having CNN on all day to see the rise and fall of a network in a single day… Unfortunately I’m unable to find the ENTIRE interview as it was seen on CNN. None the less here’s what’s available. UPDATE: Here’s a longer version of the below video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwL8oS5OkpE.

And just for giggles we can watch “CNN’s Erroneous Coast Guard ‘Shots Fired’ Report & Followup.” And don’t even get me started on Frances Townsend…

Category: In the news, by Ryan Erickson | Comments
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  • dcrisis
    Thanks for the links to the videos. I was in broadcast media for 8 years as a host and producer. I'm currently a communications interoperability and spectrum consultant. I cringed twice over this.

    This is an excellent demonstration of CNN using their position of influence to direct public opinion rather than being objective about what was happening. The frightening part is that knowing what we know now and going back to the footage, they were able to take a very sketchy source and completely populate a real incident out of it through their use or "reporters" and "homeland security experts." Rather than exercise any restraint, they employed many elements to create a dramatic moment out of a short piece of radio traffic taken out of context. Now it appears that piece of traffic may not even have been intercepted by them, so there's no way they could have had any context, but that didn't stop them.

    This is the state of cable news, willing to do anything to get the viewers. Luckily no one got hurt, but the potential certainly exists.
  • urconscience
    Stupidity all the way around. The Coast Guard set this up and "used" CNN to "create" a story by scheduling and performing such a training 'exercise' in such proximity to the Capitol on 9/11. It was a way to create "free" press for CG. CNN simply fell for it. Of course the network used the radio transmissions captured from an "open" public receivable frequency. Of course they took it in the context of what and how it was "heard". They do "drama". That is what they do. --- Did the CG broadcast they were conducting training exercises on 16-VHF and the local "traffic" frequencies? Did the CG radio transmitters state, "This is a drill.", at the end of each transmission on the training frequency throughout the training transmissions? Did they use a "closed" L.E. frequency? Use some sense.
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