[meteorite-list] Meteorite Wrong from Washington-disinformation?

From: Pekka Savolainen <pekka.savolainen_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:16:33 2004
Message-ID: <3F3C09A8.6000108_at_dlc.fi>

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Well, here in Finland (sure in a very small country) we have
built a kind of "semi-official status" for the finnish astronomy
association in co-op of the university of Helsinki to give
statements. Sometimes this works, sometimes the hoaxes
will be published, but we have quite good relationships to
press, so usually we can get the correction published very
fast.

It means work, no doubt, but it´s possible. We have some
3 - 4 people in the meteor-department of the association to
do this, and we can get the statement from the university
usually in few hours. Our contact to the university is also
the curator of the Natural History Museums met. collection,
and is also very well known as a "stone-doctor" here, really
great work from him, but I think, meteorites are a passion also
to him, not just the items to study. These kind of people in
the science-world are worth of their weight in gold in many
cases.

Our goal is to have several reporters in every publishing-house,
who make the articles, we have gave them free samples and
told some basics of these things whenever possible, and usually
this works fine. To me it looks, the press tells rather the truth
than some nonsense anyway, but this means, we have reporters,
who know something about the topic and who can get the right
people contacted as fast as possible, when the situation is actuel.

It´s sure, in many cases the hoaxes will came out, but in this
way we can get the correction published as fast as possible
and the "semi-official" statements of the association or the
university published.

The press or TV sure want their stories as fast as possible,
but it´s not very nice for them, if they have to correct their
story next day. That´s why it´s good for all sites, they can
have the real data somewhere, but they also must know, where
to get it, and to tell this to them means work for the community.


take care,

pekka


Kevin Fly Hill wrote:

> Educating the press is like singing to a pig -- It wastes your time
> and only irritates the pig. Granted when some one of the media ilk
> wants to know more great, but most of them TV (especially), radio and
> print want to get a story out (on WHATEVER) and get on with the next
> thing on their list. I guess they figure schools and universities are
> for education and they are there for entertainment. We like to
> educate, because that is was we like to do and it does help. Just
> don't expect a lot of response to your efforts at least on behalf of
> the press. A bit cynical but that has been my experience in dealing
> with the media over astronomy issues. If you want to prove my point,
> work up a "press release", invite the local media folks to a class,
> hell, serve refreshments and see how many show up. If I'm wrong, you
> get to do your deal for a mess of media types, instead of hunting them
> down one-by-one.
>
>
>
> From: Howard Wu <mailto:freewu2000_at_yahoo.com>
>
> To:Sharkkb8_at_aol.com <mailto:Sharkkb8@aol.com> ; markf@ssl.gb.com
> <mailto:markf_at_ssl.gb.com> ; meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
> <mailto:meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com>
>
> Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2003 1:48 PM
>
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Meteorite Wrong from
> Washington-disinformation?
>
>
> I recall an Andy Warhol story where he tells that he deliberately
> gave different biographical information about himself to different
> reporters so when he met people at New York social parties he
> would know what magazines they read. :<)
>
>
>
> However, I agree ethically that we should not be the source of
> disinformation and support public education. Also knowledge may
> lead to more real finds. For example, I didn't know till I became
> involved in collecting that meteors stop "burning" high in the
> atmosphere before dropping in a terminal velocity decent.
>
>
>
> Howard Wu
>
> Sharkkb8_at_aol.com wrote:
>
>
>> There is also a case for NOT educating the press on the exact
>> ins and outs of meteorite falls, phrases like ‘I burnt my
>> hands’ ‘it set fire to my garden etc’, are excellent
>> ways of distinguishing false falls from potentially genuine
>> ones, as soon as all the press reports sound believable, we
>> will be over whelmed with reports that would end up wasting
>> all our time.
>
>
>
> Wait a minute. Stepping back from it a bit, I find it hard to
> believe there's a compelling reason for WANTING the press to
> report falsehoods as truth, no matter what the subject matter
> of the story. If we can seriously justify allowing (much
> less wanting) the press to lie because we've decided that it
> helps meteorite-hobbysits distinguish between likely reports
> and unlikely ones, it becomes pretty easy for ANYONE to
> justify fraud in the press, for any and all convenient reasons
> that may come along. Surely that's a direction we want to
> head AWAY from, not toward....and yes, even if it "ends up
> wasting our time".
>
> Gregory
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Want to chat instantly with your online friends? Get the FREE
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>

-- 
Pekka Savolainen
Jokiharjuntie 4
FIN-71330 Rasala
FINLAND
+ 358 400 818 912
Group Home Page: http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/eurocoin
Group Email Address: eurocoin_at_smartgroups.com
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<br>
Well, here in Finland (sure in a very small country) we have<br>
built a kind of "semi-official status" for the finnish astronomy <br>
association in co-op of the university of Helsinki to give<br>
statements. Sometimes this works, sometimes the hoaxes<br>
will be published, but we have quite good relationships to<br>
press, so usually we can get the correction published very<br>
fast.<br>
<br>
It means work, no doubt, but it´s possible. We have some <br>
3 - 4 people in the meteor-department of the association to<br>
do this, and we can get the statement from the university <br>
usually in few hours. Our contact to the university is also<br>
the curator of the Natural History Museums met. collection,<br>
and is also very well known as a "stone-doctor" here, really<br>
great work from him, but I think, meteorites are a passion also<br>
to him, not just the items to study. These kind of people in<br>
the science-world are worth of their weight in gold in many<br>
cases.<br>
<br>
Our goal is to have several reporters in every publishing-house,<br>
who make the articles, we have gave them free samples and<br>
told some basics of these things whenever possible, and usually <br>
this works fine. To me it looks, the press tells rather the truth<br>
than some nonsense anyway, but this means, we have reporters,<br>
who know something about the topic and who can get the right<br>
people contacted as fast as possible, when the situation is actuel.<br>
<br>
It´s sure, in many cases the hoaxes will came out, but in this <br>
way we can get the correction published as fast as possible<br>
and the "semi-official" statements of the association or the<br>
university published.<br>
<br>
The press or TV sure want their stories as fast as possible,<br>
but it´s not very nice for them, if they have to correct their<br>
story next day. That´s why it´s good for all sites, they can<br>
have the real data somewhere, but they also must know, where <br>
to get it, and to tell this to them means work for the community.<br>
<br>
<br>
take care,<br>
<br>
pekka<br>
<br>
<br>
Kevin Fly Hill wrote:<br>
<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid:00d201c362ad$4178b5c0$6d00a8c0_at_coxinternet.com">
  
  <meta content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1170" name="GENERATOR">
  <style></style>
  <div><font face="Arial" size="2">Educating the press is like singing to
a pig -- It  wastes your time and only irritates the pig.  Granted when some<font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
one of the media ilk wants to know more great, but  most of them TV (especially),
radio and print want to get a story out (on  WHATEVER) and get on with the
next thing on their list.  I guess they  figure schools and universities
are for education and they are there for  entertainment.  We like to educate,
because that is was we like to do and  it does help.  Just don't expect a
lot of response to your efforts at least  on behalf of the press.  A bit
cynical but that has been my experience in  dealing with the media over astronomy
issues.  If you want to prove my  point, work up a "press release", invite
the local media folks to a class, hell,  serve refreshments and see how many
show up.  If I'm wrong, you get to do  your deal for a mess of media types,
instead of hunting them down  one-by-one.</font></font></div>
  <div> </div>
  <div><b>From:</b><a title="freewu2000_at_yahoo.com" href="mailto:freewu2000@yahoo.com">
Howard Wu</a>
  </div>
  <blockquote style="padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 5px; margin-left: 5px; border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(0,0,0); margin-right: 0px; ">
    <div style="font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none; "><b>
To:</b><a title="Sharkkb8_at_aol.com" href="mailto:Sharkkb8@aol.com">Sharkkb8@aol.com</a>
 ; <a title="markf_at_ssl.gb.com" href="mailto:markf@ssl.gb.com">markf@ssl.gb.com</a>
 ;    <a title="meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com" href="mailto:meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com">
meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com</a>
    </div>
    <div style="font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none; "><b>
Sent:</b> Thursday, August 14, 2003 1:48    PM</div>
    <div style="font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size-adjust: none; "><b>
Subject:</b> [meteorite-list] Meteorite Wrong    from Washington-disinformation?</div>
    <div><br>
    </div>
    <div>I recall an Andy Warhol story where he tells that he deliberately
gave    different biographical information about himself to different reporters
so    when he met people at New York social parties he would know what magazines
   they read. :&lt;)</div>
    <div> </div>
    <div>However, I agree ethically that we should not be the source of  
 disinformation and support public education. Also knowledge may lead to
more    real finds. For example, I didn't know till I became involved in
   collecting that meteors stop "burning" high in the atmosphere    before dropping
in a terminal velocity decent. </div>
    <div> </div>
    <div>Howard Wu<br>
    <br>
    <b><i><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Sharkkb8_at_aol.com">Sharkkb8@aol.com</a></i></b> wrote:</div>
    <div>
    <blockquote style="padding-left: 5px; margin-left: 5px; border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(16,16,255); width: 100%; "><font face="arial,helvetica"><font lang="0" face="Arial" size="2" family="SANSSERIF"><br>
      <blockquote style="padding-left: 5px; margin-left: 5px; border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(0,0,255); margin-right: 0px; " type="CITE"><font lang="0" style="background-color: rgb(255,255,255); " face="Arial" color="#000080" size="2" family="SANSSERIF">
There is also a case        for NOT educating the press on the exact ins
and outs of meteorite falls,        phrases like ‘I burnt my hands’ 
‘it set fire to my garden        etc’, are excellent ways of distinguishing
false falls from potentially        genuine ones, as soon as all the press
reports sound believable, we will        be over whelmed with reports that
would end up wasting all our      time.</font></blockquote>
        <font lang="0" style="background-color: rgb(255,255,255); " face="Arial" color="#000080" size="2" family="SANSSERIF"><br>
        </font><font lang="0" style="background-color: rgb(255,255,255); " face="Arial" color="#000000" size="2" family="SANSSERIF"><br>
Wait a minute.       Stepping back from it a bit, I find it hard to believe
there's a compelling      reason for WANTING the press to report falsehoods
as truth, no matter what      the subject matter of the story.   If we can
seriously justify      allowing (much less wanting) the press to lie because
we've decided that it      helps meteorite-hobbysits distinguish between
likely reports and unlikely      ones, it becomes pretty easy for ANYONE
to justify fraud in the press, for      any and all convenient reasons that
may come along.  Surely that's a      direction we want to head AWAY from,
not toward....and yes, even if it "ends      up wasting our time".<br>
        <br>
       Gregory      </font></font></font></blockquote>
        </div>
        <hr size="1"><font face="arial,helvetica"><font face="Arial" size="2">
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        <br>
        <pre class="moz-signature" cols="$mailwrapcol">-- 
Pekka Savolainen
Jokiharjuntie 4
FIN-71330 Rasala
FINLAND
+ 358 400 818 912
Group Home Page: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/eurocoin">http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/eurocoin</a>
Group Email Address: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:eurocoin_at_smartgroups.com">eurocoin@smartgroups.com</a>
</pre>
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Received on Thu 14 Aug 2003 06:14:00 PM PDT


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