Mine disaster reporting

Sloppy.

That's all you can say about the media coverage of the Sago mine disaster. And their attempts to defend themselves are comical:

Cable news networks defended their work. Jonathan Klein,. president of CNN U.S., said "two pretty good sources" had appeared to confirm the news - West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin and Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va. At 12:28 a.m. ET Wednesday, CNN broadcast an interview with Capito. Asked what she could confirm, Capito said "12 miners (are) alive."

Since when are politicians "pretty good sources" for an event like this? Next time someone is missing in an avalanche, let's hope the mayor of Salt Lake City is on the scene to update the media.

I like this one:

"Len Downie, executive editor of the The Washington Post, defended the media. "Our story was a reflection of what was being said at the time," said Downie. "I don't regard it as our error, but as an error by the people in charge of the rescue."

Hey, let's get 50 people together and chant "The world is flat" and see if that
makes the papers.

No excuses. Sloppy.