Media accuracy has been spinning downward for years and especially since the advent of 24-hour news networks. It seems almost nobody waits to "check it out if in doubt." The competition to be first takes precedence.

What has happened to attribution with quotes from real, live officials?

I stayed up late last night hoping to watch a miracle for those miners. Like everybody else, I thought the miraculous had occurred. Then Geraldo -- of all those journalists -- asked the obvious question: Who said this? (meaning what official stated the miners are alive?) But pandemonium had broken out, and that was end of it.

Apparently, mine company executives believed the miscommunication too. But 20 minutes later, they weren't so sure. So why did they wait almost three hours before saying anything? I can't accept that they just wanted to wait until they had the information correct. The correct information 20 minutes later was that they simply did not know whether one or all the miners were alive. That is what they should have immediately told the families and the media.

The truth, even if you have to say "I don't know," is always better than letting rumors fly. The mine company needed an experienced public relations person with integrity. The news organizations needed experienced journalists with integrity.