risk and the media

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Having had the "pleasure" to stand in front of and to address the 
media on risks associated with radiation, radioactive effluent 
releases and long term consequences (during emergency exercises) for 
about 20 years, I come away with one conclusion; the media's goal is 
to SELL their story to the public. If readership or viewers is 
increased, the station or paper makes a profit, and their jobs are 
secure. Reporting on non-happenings, or on issues that aren't 
controversial, don't SELL. The public in general, is emotionally 
driven. The public doesn't want to see death or gross happenings that 
affect others, yet they stop and stretch their necks to see a 
possible glimpse of "death and destruction" at an accident scene or 
catastrophe. This unfortunately is human nature (in our society 
anyway). The media knows that radiation is a hype word that will 
generate media attention, and the more they dish out, the more papers 
or advertisement time they will SELL.

When there was no story, the media made one with all of their 
ridiculous hypothetical scenarios. If there is no problem, they make 
one that is not totally unheard of, therefore, the possibility is 
remote, yet we, the experts standing in front of them, can't 
categorically say that there is NO probability. If the probability is 
not 100%, in the minds of the media, and the public, it can happen. 

Emergency exercises that are ridiculous, going to the point of being 
asinine, have fostered this public view that these accidents can in 
all reality, occur, under the right circumstances. These 
circumstances show up as sound bites during the evening news, or in a 
paragraph in the printed media. Who is to blame.. well, I've beaten 
that horse before when emergency exercises was discussed. I won't go 
into that.

Bottom line, no matter what we say, in the end, it won't matter. If 
we are pro, we're biased, if we're con, we're enlightened. I agree 
with Ruth. State our position and go on. Any more energy expended is 
wasted.

Sandy Perle
E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 
Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205

"The object of opening the mind, as of opening 
the mouth, is to close it again on something solid"
              - G. K. Chesterton -
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