Media coverage of Arica, Chile tragedy

[lysolqn]

The Arica, Chile tour bus tragedy saddens us all. With all our pre-cruise planning, preparation, anticipation and excitement, who among us would ever contemplate such a horrific outcome. Our sympathies are with all those touched by this event.

 

True to form, the media has focused on the "cruise" aspect of this accident. Headlines and lead-ins like "Cruise passengers killed," "Celebrity cruise ship tragedy," "Passengers on Celebrity Millenium cruise dead," "Twelve cruise ship passengers dead" are making the most of the cruise connection to grab the audience's attention. In the initial reports on television last night, the possibility that this was just one more in a long chain of cruise ship horror stories was almost palpable. In fact, when it finally became known that this was an accident involving an independent tour company, that information was reported almost as an afterthought.

 

In light of recent stories about the honeymoon couple on RCCI, the woman who disappeared from an X ship in Alaska, noro-virus outbreaks and Congressional hearings about how unsafe cruise ships are, does anyone else see a trend here? If the victims of the Arica tragedy weren't cruise ship passengers, would the story have been reported as "Twelve Continental Airlines passengers dead," just because the vicitims happened to fly down on Continental? What is with the media's beef against the cruise industry?

[tradingspaces]

The Arica, Chile tour bus tragedy saddens us all. With all our pre-cruise planning, preparation, anticipation and excitement, who among us would ever contemplate such a horrific outcome. Our sympathies are with all those touched by this event.

 

True to form, the media has focused on the "cruise" aspect of this accident. Headlines and lead-ins like "Cruise passengers killed," "Celebrity cruise ship tragedy," "Passengers on Celebrity Millenium cruise dead," "Twelve cruise ship passengers dead" are making the most of the cruise connection to grab the audience's attention. In the initial reports on television last night, the possibility that this was just one more in a long chain of cruise ship horror stories was almost palpable. In fact, when it finally became known that this was an accident involving an independent tour company, that information was reported almost as an afterthought.

 

In light of recent stories about the honeymoon couple on RCCI, the woman who disappeared from an X ship in Alaska, noro-virus outbreaks and Congressional hearings about how unsafe cruise ships are, does anyone else see a trend here? If the victims of the Arica tragedy weren't cruise ship passengers, would the story have been reported as "Twelve Continental Airlines passengers dead," just because the vicitims happened to fly down on Continental? What is with the media's beef against the cruise industry?

 

 

I agree with you 100 percent.

[BB5953]

The media really isn't giving any misinformation. I do see the same headlines as you but the fact of the matter is that they were Celebrity cruise ship passengers. I have been watching the coverage and I haven't seen any media outlet claiming that X was in anyway negligent. It is horrific that George Smith went missing as did the woman in Alaska and even the norovirus breakout but I don't think we can be upset with the media for reporting it or even sensationalizing it ( I never thought I would be defending the media)...

 

I guess maybe it depends on what media outlet you watch. The gossip ones do tend to sensationalize too much. I watch Fox which is pretty straight forward. IMO any reputable news channel will try to be straight forward at least with something like this (i.e. Greta Van Susteren usually reports on these things pretty heavily).

[Keishaw]

I'm quite fascinated with the whole concept of media coverage right now...

 

We had one of our big ferries COMPLETELY SINK yesterday in the BC Inside Passage (capacity 700, although only 100 were on board).

Yet hardly anyone south of the US/Canada border has even heard about it. The survivors are saying "it looked like the Titanic".

 

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=e232abce-ef61-47b1-b3af-f3acc685bfea&k=59465

 

Can you IMAGINE if this had been a Cruise ship? Do you think the world would have heard about it? I'm thinking most definitely.

Just wait though - it's the same route some of the cruise ships take, so I'm sure they'll find a connection.

 

I agree, the cruise industry is being targeted big-time. Needless to say, the news of the "Cruise Passengers Killed" in Chile was right up there in all the media reports up here too.

 

Karen

[rcicruiser]

CNN last night keep saying things like cruiseship passengers killed and what is the cruiselines responsiablity. I agree with the OP if it was just 12 people killed who where staying in a hotel would they keep repeating that. They even asked someone from the US consulate if the cruiseline had any responsiablity. He told them to ask the cruiseline. The people who where killed booked their own tour, had nothing to do with the cruiseline but last night they made it sound like it did. Gets more viewers. It will be interesting to see if the media turns out when the ship gets back in on April 2 to interview people.

[trcori]

Always a favorite topic of mine since I work in media.

 

Re: the BC Ferries tragedy, it was our major story all yesterday morning here in Seattle (and continues today, especially with the new information about the heroic actions of the small community that rushed out to help the survivors).

 

Re: the Chile crash, most of what I've seen has been "12 Americans in Chile." Fact of the matter is that what they do have in common is that they were there from a cruise. And yes, the fact that cruises have seemed a bit more jinxed lately, does mean that aspect will be played up a bit more. Today's Star Princess fire doesn't help matters at all.

 

I'm cruising in a week and I'm even a little jittery. Wasn't worried about all the person-overboard things, but the private shore excursion safety aspect is worrisome, as is the fact a simple cabin fire could spread so far beyond that one cabin. I think the cruise industry has been LUCKY to have not had much trouble for many years (although I remember pictures of a Carnival ship a few years back, with a big fire aft and aerial photos as it burned) and right now, unfortunately, there's a confluence of stories -- TR

[hdawson]

Fact: they were cruisers on a Celebrity cruise who booked an independent tour. Very sad, very unfortunate. Stuff happens. If they were sailors visiting on a US Navy ship, I'm sure it would be reported exactly the same.

[hdawson]

Fact: they were cruisers on a Celebrity cruise who booked an independent tour. Very sad, very unfortunate. Stuff happens. If they were sailors visiting on a US Navy ship, I'm sure it would be reported exactly the same.

[hdawson]

Darn multiple posts.

[hdawson]

Darn

[Sky Sweet]

The following detail about this tragedy was just reported in one of our local newspapers:

 

"SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- The tour bus that crashed in northern Chile, killing 12 elderly American tourists returning to their cruise ship after an excursion, was unregistered and not authorized to transport passengers, government officials said Thursday."

[perkyblue]

That sure would make me think twice about booking an excursion not affiliated with the cruise line! I know thousands of people do just that with no problem, but the peace of mind of knowing that the cruise line is backing these companies is worth the extra cost to me.

[Andy]

Hi Everyone !

 

These are all excellent comments. I have been listening to the news and financial channels all day today. I do feel the media is really piling it on the Cruise Lines right now. A few reports have questioned "safety" and used words like "Cruise Crisis". That very much annoys and frustrates me, as we all know that Cruising has been incredibly safe over the years.

 

I am all for responsible journalism, but to question the Cruise lines "safety", appears to be taking advantage of some very unfortunate and tragic situations.

 

Again, I wish my sincere condolonces to everyone affected by these tragic events.

[trcori]

what we need are more media members who cruise :)

 

seriously, this morning I was here at work when news of the Star Princess fire crossed the wire. The AP one-liner was "Carnival Cruise Lines says Princess cruise ship catches fire in Caribbean, one dead." So all these folks in the newsroom start yelling about the "Carnival Cruise Ship fire." Friendly neighborhood cruise nut me starts yelling back, "IT'S NOT A CARNIVAL SHIP ... PRINCESS OWNS CARNIVAL ..." and I made sure our anchors were aware of that.

 

Andy, here's another thing you might want to note. We tried like h*** to get someone on the phone from ICCL or CLIA or anything official to talk about cruise safety live on our morning newscast. I think it's a story that's quite undertold -- and of big interest just about everywhere as cruising grows in popularity -- but just as we were burning up the phone lines in hopes of getting some information (10-11 am ET vicinity), nobody answered. In time of trouble, AGGRESSIVE counter-PR might work wonders -- TR

[Sky Sweet]

That sure would make me think twice about booking an excursion not affiliated with the cruise line! I know thousands of people do just that with no problem, but the peace of mind of knowing that the cruise line is backing these companies is worth the extra cost to me.

 

Perkyblue, I had the exact same reaction when I found out that this private company's tour bus was not registered or authorized to transport passengers.

[Andy]

what we need are more media members who cruise :)

 

seriously, this morning I was here at work when news of the Star Princess fire crossed the wire. The AP one-liner was "Carnival Cruise Lines says Princess cruise ship catches fire in Caribbean, one dead." So all these folks in the newsroom start yelling about the "Carnival Cruise Ship fire." Friendly neighborhood cruise nut me starts yelling back, "IT'S NOT A CARNIVAL SHIP ... PRINCESS OWNS CARNIVAL ..." and I made sure our anchors were aware of that.

 

Andy, here's another thing you might want to note. We tried like h*** to get someone on the phone from ICCL or CLIA or anything official to talk about cruise safety live on our morning newscast. I think it's a story that's quite undertold -- and of big interest just about everywhere as cruising grows in popularity -- but just as we were burning up the phone lines in hopes of getting some information (10-11 am ET vicinity), nobody answered. In time of trouble, AGGRESSIVE counter-PR might work wonders -- TR

 

 

Well said TR. I totally agree with your comments. And yes, many of the media should actually see how the Cruiselines handle safety firsthand, before they go making unfair comments.

 

I was on Century last week, and you would not believe how many safety drills were run, and boat drill exercises etc. I truly feel that all the Major Cruiselines do as much as possible to keep us safe on a Cruise.

 

While I have no idea just how bad the entire damage is on Star Princess, just by looking at the outside of the ship, I have to say that I am amazed that there was one fatality in total. And yes, that is very sad. With that said, it is clear the Captain and Crew on Star Princess did a great job in handling a VERY serious situation. Did they pass the safety test ? I would certainly say so !

[Keishaw]

Always a favorite topic of mine since I work in media.

 

Re: the BC Ferries tragedy, it was our major story all yesterday morning here in Seattle (and continues today, especially with the new information about the heroic actions of the small community that rushed out to help the survivors).

TR: Sorry, you're absolutely right, I should have said "hardly anyone south of Seattle/Washington State seems to have heard of the sinking ferry". I have seen some of the coverage out of your area. It just amazed me that my friends in California, Texas and Virginia hadn't heard a peep about it. I hate to say it, but it seems to me that because there weren't any really exciting visuals (an oil-slick just doesn't cut it), it wasn't worthy of much coverage elsewhere? I think it might have garnered more interest if someone had a videocamera with them and had recorded the ship going down. Correct me if I'm wrong, media types...:o

 

Karen

[lysolqn]

Even the Cruise Critic home page reads, "News: Tragic Celebrity Shore Experience Kills 12." This wasn't a tragic "Celebrity" shore experience, but rather the tragic shore experience of twelve American tourists who happened to be passengers on a Celebrity ship - there's a difference between the two.

[EscapeFromConnecticut]

Cruise Critic is a wonderful and informative source for those of us who love to cruise, and I am indebted to the hudnreds of members who have posted insightful posts about every topic from dining room assignments to pier upgrades.

But as media critics ... well, most folks should stick to what they know. Threads like this one are just a disgrace.

Reality check:

1) The ONLY reason you found out about bus disaster was through the media. :rolleyes: The appropriate response is "thank God we have someone in remote parts of the world to tell us what happens," not snide and buffoonish whining.

2) These poor victims were part of an organized tour group, not a dozen random bus riders. They also were visiting the country as Celebrity's guests ... you BET that Celebrity is going to be part of the news. And rightfully so. It goes with the territory.

3) Will Celebrity be part of the court proceedings that are inevitable in a case that -- so far -- appears to be blatant negligence/recklessness? Personally, I hope not. But we'll see -- that will be up to the lawyers and the judge, not the press. And "the media" will be your source to find out.

4) Cruise bashing? :confused: Dear Lord, get real people. The cruise industry HAS had a string of miserable incidents, many of which are still being investigated. That's fact, and not open for debate. And not one incident was the fault of the press - maybe the passengers, maybe the weather, maybe fate, maybe the cruise line, but NOT the press. Be thankful you have a free press that will tell you about what's going on.

5) Within hours of the bus store appearing on Cruise Critic, there was a Celebrity thread with tales of shady/sketchy/scary excursions that our fellow cruisers have taken over the years. Many quesetioned whether they would still be so "devil may care" about boarding racing Jamaican buses or bald-tired, rusty Third World taxis in the future; others said that those risks are just a part of living. It is ABSOLUTELY NATURAL that people would make these associations, and the press would have been fully justified in doing a far more detailed, explicit package about the condition of Third World excursion equipment that American and European cruisers routinely use .... vehicles they'd NEVER consider boarding while at home.

6) Another thread brought in more than a dozen replies: It asked what Celebrity's legal liability might be. That's a perfectly valid quesiton for CNN or anyone else to raise.

7) Just hours after all those pompous postings about the press hyping cruise ship troubles, the Princess fire happens. You'd think that would get the know-nothings to pipe down. (But not a chance of that). What Princess' fatal fire shows us, once again, is that cruising is not absolutely safe. Cruise safety and security are very valid news topics; and if resulting Congressional action makes cruising safer, then YOU AND YOUR FAMILY will have the U.S. press corps to thank for that.

8) After the ceaseless and shameless tale of lies that Carnival's flak, DeLaCruz, use to parrot during the back-to-back-to-back fiascoes with major fires, engine failures and the non-stop Tropicale screw-ups, it's no wonder that the press will be skeptical about industry proclamations - or the head-in-the-sand nonsense from the KoolAid crowd on CC.

 

Most of the posters on this thread (and a few others) ought to be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. :mad: We'll see if they have the integrity to own up to that.

[dkjretired]

Cruise Critic is a wonderful and informative source for those of us who love to cruise, and I am indebted to the hudnreds of members who have posted insightful posts about every topic from dining room assignments to pier upgrades.

But as media critics ... well, most folks should stick to what they know. Threads like this one are just a disgrace.

Reality check:

1) The ONLY reason you found out about bus disaster was through the media. :rolleyes: The appropriate response is "thank God we have someone in remote parts of the world to tell us what happens," not snide and buffoonish whining.

2) These poor victims were part of an organized tour group, not a dozen random bus riders. They also were visiting the country as Celebrity's guests ... you BET that Celebrity is going to be part of the news. And rightfully so. It goes with the territory.

3) Will Celebrity be part of the court proceedings that are inevitable in a case that -- so far -- appears to be blatant negligence/recklessness? Personally, I hope not. But we'll see -- that will be up to the lawyers and the judge, not the press. And "the media" will be your source to find out.

4) Cruise bashing? :confused: Dear Lord, get real people. The cruise industry HAS had a string of miserable incidents, many of which are still being investigated. That's fact, and not open for debate. And not one incident was the fault of the press - maybe the passengers, maybe the weather, maybe fate, maybe the cruise line, but NOT the press. Be thankful you have a free press that will tell you about what's going on.

5) Within hours of the bus store appearing on Cruise Critic, there was a Celebrity thread with tales of shady/sketchy/scary excursions that our fellow cruisers have taken over the years. Many quesetioned whether they would still be so "devil may care" about boarding racing Jamaican buses or bald-tired, rusty Third World taxis in the future; others said that those risks are just a part of living. It is ABSOLUTELY NATURAL that people would make these associations, and the press would have been fully justified in doing a far more detailed, explicit package about the condition of Third World excursion equipment that American and European cruisers routinely use .... vehicles they'd NEVER consider boarding while at home.

6) Another thread brought in more than a dozen replies: It asked what Celebrity's legal liability might be. That's a perfectly valid quesiton for CNN or anyone else to raise.

7) Just hours after all those pompous postings about the press hyping cruise ship troubles, the Princess fire happens. You'd think that would get the know-nothings to pipe down. (But not a chance of that). What Princess' fatal fire shows us, once again, is that cruising is not absolutely safe. Cruise safety and security are very valid news topics; and if resulting Congressional action makes cruising safer, then YOU AND YOUR FAMILY will have the U.S. press corps to thank for that.

8) After the ceaseless and shameless tale of lies that Carnival's flak, DeLaCruz, use to parrot during the back-to-back-to-back fiascoes with major fires, engine failures and the non-stop Tropicale screw-ups, it's no wonder that the press will be skeptical about industry proclamations - or the head-in-the-sand nonsense from the KoolAid crowd on CC.

 

Most of the posters on this thread (and a few others) ought to be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. :mad: We'll see if they have the integrity to own up to that.

 

Although I agree with the above poster in many respects, the entire post is rather naive. The people on these boards are not trained in journalism and are entitled to their opinions, thus the name cruise critic. I don't mind good reporting but the poster does not take into account the "lead if it bleeds" mentality of the press. Its all about ratings whether it be the local stations or the cable news networks. He also does not take into account the personal feelings of the newscasters and the manner in which they can fudge their reports. I think he should really look in the mirror and see who has their head in the sand. We have a right to critique the press and we are the best media critics as we are the ones who allow them to exsist.

[lysolqn]

EscapefromConnecticut,

 

Cruise Critic is a forum where all cruise related issues are open to polite and respectful discussion. You may agree or disagree as you like; that's what makes for a healthy exchange of ideas. Most of us who frequent this forum like to take the high road and keep the discussions civil. However, every once in a while, someone likes to come out punching. I think most of us would agree that when anger and name calling enter the picture, it usually says more about the offender than it does about the issue. He who yells loudest is usually the one with the least to say!

[BB5953]

Cruise Critic is a wonderful and informative source for those of us who love to cruise, and I am indebted to the hudnreds of members who have posted insightful posts about every topic from dining room assignments to pier upgrades.

But as media critics ... well, most folks should stick to what they know. Threads like this one are just a disgrace.

Reality check:

1) The ONLY reason you found out about bus disaster was through the media. :rolleyes: The appropriate response is "thank God we have someone in remote parts of the world to tell us what happens," not snide and buffoonish whining.

2) These poor victims were part of an organized tour group, not a dozen random bus riders. They also were visiting the country as Celebrity's guests ... you BET that Celebrity is going to be part of the news. And rightfully so. It goes with the territory.

3) Will Celebrity be part of the court proceedings that are inevitable in a case that -- so far -- appears to be blatant negligence/recklessness? Personally, I hope not. But we'll see -- that will be up to the lawyers and the judge, not the press. And "the media" will be your source to find out.

4) Cruise bashing? :confused: Dear Lord, get real people. The cruise industry HAS had a string of miserable incidents, many of which are still being investigated. That's fact, and not open for debate. And not one incident was the fault of the press - maybe the passengers, maybe the weather, maybe fate, maybe the cruise line, but NOT the press. Be thankful you have a free press that will tell you about what's going on.

5) Within hours of the bus store appearing on Cruise Critic, there was a Celebrity thread with tales of shady/sketchy/scary excursions that our fellow cruisers have taken over the years. Many quesetioned whether they would still be so "devil may care" about boarding racing Jamaican buses or bald-tired, rusty Third World taxis in the future; others said that those risks are just a part of living. It is ABSOLUTELY NATURAL that people would make these associations, and the press would have been fully justified in doing a far more detailed, explicit package about the condition of Third World excursion equipment that American and European cruisers routinely use .... vehicles they'd NEVER consider boarding while at home.

6) Another thread brought in more than a dozen replies: It asked what Celebrity's legal liability might be. That's a perfectly valid quesiton for CNN or anyone else to raise.

7) Just hours after all those pompous postings about the press hyping cruise ship troubles, the Princess fire happens. You'd think that would get the know-nothings to pipe down. (But not a chance of that). What Princess' fatal fire shows us, once again, is that cruising is not absolutely safe. Cruise safety and security are very valid news topics; and if resulting Congressional action makes cruising safer, then YOU AND YOUR FAMILY will have the U.S. press corps to thank for that.

8) After the ceaseless and shameless tale of lies that Carnival's flak, DeLaCruz, use to parrot during the back-to-back-to-back fiascoes with major fires, engine failures and the non-stop Tropicale screw-ups, it's no wonder that the press will be skeptical about industry proclamations - or the head-in-the-sand nonsense from the KoolAid crowd on CC.

 

Most of the posters on this thread (and a few others) ought to be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. :mad: We'll see if they have the integrity to own up to that.

 

 

Very well said. Until the media starts reporting things that aren't true I don't think anyone should be upset imo.

[BTDookie]

I first heard of the tragic events in Chile as "12 American Tourists killed in a bus crash in Chile". No mention of a cruise, why they were there, nada. I think it is only a natural progression of reporting the story that the "why they were there" news started to flow. Would it have been less tragic if they were 12 college students on spring break?

 

Now, I do not sit in front of the TV 24x7...

 

I guess the other thing that jumps out at me is people thinking that were this a "celebrity-sponsored" trip that the passengers would have been safer and not subject to the will of randomness that sometimes places good people in the wrong place with very dire consequences. The fact that the bus was not registered for this type of activity, and all the other news coming out about that does not remove the fact that from why I've read, they were avoiding a head-on collision.

 

 

My heart aches for those that lost loved ones and friends...

 

Now fires on a crusie ship. I think that plays on the fears of many regarding cruising.

[EscapeFromConnecticut]

Very well said. Until the media starts reporting things that aren't true I don't think anyone should be upset imo.

 

BB5953 -- Thanks a sensible reply. You and BTDookie make good points.

The remainder of the responses here have been ... ah, let's call it: predictably unenlightened. :rolleyes:

That's as diplomatic as it's gonna get.

Expect more news stories on the bus crash and Princess Star fire in the weeks to come ... and that's precisely as it should be. Expect the feds to push for investigations, and expect the victims' relatives (and perhaps other passengers) to file suit.

 

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14178853.htm

[dkjretired]

BB5953 -- Thanks a sensible reply. You and BTDookie make good points.

The remainder of the responses here have been ... ah, let's call it: predictably unenlightened. :rolleyes:

That's as diplomatic as it's gonna get.

Expect more news stories on the bus crash and Princess Star fire in the weeks to come ... and that's precisely as it should be. Expect the feds to push for investigations, and expect the victims' relatives (and perhaps other passengers) to file suit.

 

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14178853.htm

 

Sounds rather elitist to me but then I'm just unenlightened.