I heard a couple interesting news items this week on the local TV channel. You know, the one with a hamster powered transmitter trying ever so hard to build market share so they cover stuff happening elsewhere in the region to make their "numbers" more attractive to prospective advertisers. Well, one of the stories that caught my ear was about a fire that was blamed on an electrical shortage. That's right, shortage.
Now I don't expect TV news readers to have a knowledge of all the Sciences and technologies but I'd have thought that somewhere along the path of growing up, graduating from high school, going to college and studying Journalism that a reporter would have heard the term "short circuit" casually shortened to "short." But shortage? You have an electrical shortage when you need 3 batteries but only have two. Or if the power demand is so great the power company reduces output so you have a brown out that could be considered a shortage.
Why make a big deal about it? Because the media, electronic and print, are a major force in the field of education. If the news readers themselves need education, how can they benefit those in their audience who can't discern between fact and fiction; or half truth; or non-truth.
The media have a responsibility to be correct AND accurate. They should be setting a shining example. Sad to say, the local news readers on TV may be the most educated persons some people have any regular contact with. Even if the reporters don't question some items in their script, their editors should!
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