Erroneous Headlines - CDC: Woman Just Back From Cruise to Mexico Has Swine Flu
I hate when the press does this!
The headline of the story leads one to believe that a woman got the Swine Flu while on a cruise to Mexico. But if you read the story, they say it's very possible she got the flu while she was in San Diego and that it had nothing to do with the cruise or Mexico.
It's too bad the press can't wait to get all the facts straight before causing undue panic.
Instead of stating that another person got the flu while traveling, they are erroneously titling the story making people believe something that may not be true. Many people flipping through the paper or online news stories read the headline and then decide whether or not to read the entire story. So, alot of people often believe the headline without reading the story and pass along the erroneous information swearing it's true and causing even more panic.
It's like the story that reported several students in New York got the Swine Flu while on Spring Break in Cancun. Again, this leads one to believe that they got the flu in Cancun. This is not true. During Spring Break, there are tens of thousands of kids in Cancun and these were the only few who got the flu? These students were in Cancun, but they traveled through Mexico City, so the experts are convinced they actually got the flu in Mexico City and not in Cancun. But if you only read the headline, you would assume that Cancun is not safe, which is not true.
Yes, the Swine Flu is something we need to be very aware of and need to take certain precautions, but to spread misinformation and cause undue panic is irresponsible. This causes many problems and unfortunately the press is not held accountable.
I really feel sorry for those people who overreact in these situations causing problems with the cruise lines and resort areas.
My son and his wife are currently honeymooning in Cancun and they said it has been a wonderful experience. Beaches are uncrowded, no one is sick, service has been great, and the hotels are bending over backwards to please their guests. Even the head of the CDC said he'd travel to Cancun, as there are no problems down there. Too bad many people believed the false headlines instead of reading the facts as presented by the CDC.
As travel professionals, we are bombarded with client's concerns about this new strain of flu and whether or not they should cancel or switch their vacations from Mexico. Yes, this flu should be looked upon seriously but the media is making this worse by instilling fear into travelers with the sensational headlines.
There was just an article from CLIA on the additional precautions that the cruise lines are taking to ensure passengers who might be showing signs of illness are being screened. I copied it onto my blog and have attached the link.
Pete... I am with you. I am honestly rather tired of the media.
I had a client cancel a cruise for November, because it was going to Mexico! I was like "you are kidding right" LOL...
It is the flu, the flu, the flu... wash your hands... etc. OMG, the Bird flu and SARS was supposed to be the end of the world, lol...
The media really should get a life!
I agree, but you have to understand. That is their life! A negative story, if it's hyped enough, will get you listeners, viewers, readers, ad buyers, etc. A good news story will get you a yawn. For the most part, the North American, and perhaps the World, population is to blame. They give people what they think they want to hear, see, read. This is a natural. Sickness, death, and somebody (pigs, Mexicans) to blame it on.
I agree, but you have to understand. That is their life! A negative story, if it's hyped enough, will get you listeners, viewers, readers, ad buyers, etc. A good news story will get you a yawn. For the most part, the North American, and perhaps the World, population is to blame. They give people what they think they want to hear, see, read. This is a natural. Sickness, death, and somebody (pigs, Mexicans) to blame it on.
Flu season 35,000 people die from it, so far comparitively less than a 100 deaths. Give me a break.
This is normal for the media. I agree that they overblow everything. There are so many media outlets now that being first is more important than being accurate. I do not see it getting better anytime soon.
As a J-school graduate, I have found there's a huge difference between what we were taught in terms of reporting ethics and what actually happens in the real newsroom. I was so ready to answer the "happy talk" broadcasting question on my master's comp exam, as I had grown up in the Los Angeles area, perhaps the birthplace of Happy Talk News.
I often hear or read misleading items that it can drive me up the wall. And the tendency to sensationize or report an item quickly without doublechecking the facts...we would have been taken to task in Advanced Reporting for some of these actions (in my program, you work at the NBC station or the general circulation paper for that class). I often hear the words "If it bleeds, it leads" and "if we're there, it'll air" in my head while watching the show.
Kinda makes me glad that I went into advertising instead after finishing school.
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Erroneous Headlines - CDC: Woman Just Back From Cruise to Mexico Has Swine Flu
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