"The cyclone death toll soared above 22,000 on Tuesday and more than 41,000 others were missing as the international community prepared to rush in aid after the country's deadliest storm on record, state radio reported."
See yesterday's entry about how USELESS the "death toll" speculation was yesterday ("up to 10,000"). Q.E.D. What good was the FASE, apparent underestimate, of the "death toll" yesterday? Again, this blog is proven right sooner rather than later.
Remember New Orleans, where the "death toll" was supposed to be "up to 10,000". Of course, that was only off by a factor of 10, in the absolutely DISGRACEFUL "news" coverage of Katrina. It tells you a lot that the media considers Katrina its "finest hour".
Segue to Burma (Myanmar). Yesterday, the despicable Associated Press used an ANONYMOUS SOURCE to obtain a "scoop" that "up to 10,000" people may have died in Burma. Isn't it delicious how the media, in its rush to put out SPECULATION, can't get it right. The "death toll" was EXAGGERATED by a factor of 10 in New Orleans. Here, the media evidently vastly UNDERESTIMATED the "death toll" yesterday.
And the problem is NOT whether the media gets it "right" or "wrong". The problem is the obsession with IMMEDIATE "death tolls" in the first place, and the emphasis on SPECULATION, instead of waiting for FACTS. There is NO REASON to rush to give "death tolls", which are NEVER known immediately (in major disasters).
The media should be ashamed of their obsession with speculation on "death tolls", instead of concern about mere FACTS, but they have no shame.
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