Thread: Exaggerated Reporting

I had to have a wry laugh while watching 7.30 report on ABC.

The reporter was trying desperately to get the BOM guy to say that climate change was causing the heatwave and the BOM guy was having none of it.

The reporter pointed out that the BOM had added 2 new colours to the temp maps, and the BOM guy said yeah we replaced white with black and purple because it is easier to see. No , not new. But of course we have never got to the highest yet. Apparently they replaced white for 40+ and added a new division of 40-42 purple and 43-45 black. AFAIR

The Bias of the reporter was subtle but pretty evident.
Why can't they play it straight and not try to ride their hobbyhorse when "reporting"

Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by garrycol

Canberra is both the hottest and coldest Capital in Aust. ...

Who says?

Wikipedia for Canberra

The highest recorded maximum temperature was 42.2 °C (108.0 °F) on 1 February 1968.[76]

The lowest recorded minimum temperature was −10 °C (14.0 °F) on 11 July 1971.[76]

ABC News

Hottest days on record

State by state:
NSW: 49.7C, Menindee, January 10, 1939
ACT: 42.2C, Canberra, February 1, 1968
NT: 48.3C, Finke, January 1, 1960
SA: 50.7C, Oodnadatta, January 2, 1960
Qld: 49.5C, Birdsville, December 24, 1972
Tas: 42.2C, Scamander, January 30, 2009
WA: 50.5C, Mardie, February 19, 1998
Vic: 48.8C, Hopetoun, February 7, 2009

Capital cities:
Sydney: 45.3C, January 14, 1939
Canberra: 42.2C, February 1, 1968
Darwin: 40.5C, October 17, 1892
Adelaide: 47.6C, January 12, 1939
Brisbane: 43.2C, January 26, 1940
Hobart: 41.8C, January 4, 2013
Perth: 46.2C, February 23, 1991
Melbourne: 46.4C, February 7, 2009

This page (scroll to bottom) has a table of average max and average min temps. Canberra does not win either.
http://www.gungahlinweather.com/arti...therdebate.htm

So it seems canbera can only claim to be the coldest capital, but not even the coldest average.

Originally Posted by PhilipA

I had to have a wry laugh while watching 7.30 report on ABC.

The reporter was trying desperately to get the BOM guy to say that climate change was causing the heatwave and the BOM guy was having none of it.

The reporter pointed out that the BOM had added 2 new colours to the temp maps, and the BOM guy said yeah we replaced white with black and purple because it is easier to see. No , not new. But of course we have never got to the highest yet. Apparently they replaced white for 40+ and added a new division of 40-42 purple and 43-45 black. AFAIR

The Bias of the reporter was subtle but pretty evident.
Why can't they play it straight and not try to ride their hobbyhorse when "reporting"

Regards Philip A

What strange twisted reality do you live in???

Here is a link to the episode in question. ABC iview
I assume you mean the section after 21:50. I would challenge any rational person to view the reporter's questions [or commentary prior to the interview] as biased.

going by some posts here I think that some members have a high level of caffeine in their blood

Perhaps is me that I am getting old and mellow?

If I have told you once, I have told you a million times,DONT EXAGGERATE!!!

When with Qld Emergency Services They just badger you to say what they want you to.I jacked up on that early in my career and I was reported to my higher authorities I stuck to my guns just for the sake of accurate reporting which even then was doctored. I just said to my boss I did not say that and played back the little recorder I carried.That fixed them.

Originally Posted by Sleepy

Of course the 'commercial' news has become pseudo entertainment...you only have to watch fox news to see what our commercial channels aspire to.

I was amused the other day when it was over 40 degrees down here. Small grass fire near Dandenong was the only local serious fire. No one injured, lost one shed, a beer fridge, a trampoline, 30 metres of fencing and a couple of hectares of grass.

Yeah sure it could have been worse ......but it wasn't.

Helicopters, numerous crosses "live from the scene" and occupied the first 5 minutes of the news.

One of the only excellent reports we had in New Zealand described the morning or evening news as " a series of 38 second non factual sound bites written for the brain dead and containing no real information.
I watch AL jeerza or similar as there is a a small amount of factual information and the news clips can be over one minute long explaining a story.

Originally Posted by isuzurover

What strange twisted reality do you live in???

Here is a link to the episode in question. ABC iview
I assume you mean the section after 21:50. I would challenge any rational person to view the reporter's questions [or commentary prior to the interview] as biased.

The way I read it, PhillipA was only referring to the interview with the guy from BOM which was the section after 21:50.

Why do people have to live in a strange twisted reality or be of limited intelligence if they disagree with an ABC report?