The Similkameen News Leader
Editorial
SMOKE AND MIRRORS
EDITORIAL - September 12, 2006
The small town media business is so different to big city news. We were always aware of this, but were recently reminded of this fact thanks to the Tatoosh Complex forest fire.
After hearing a number of rumours concerning the fire, we decided to spend part of Labour Day Monday in Manning Park, checking things out for ourselves.
We had heard that the fire had jumped Highway 3 (untrue) and that the Highway was closed to all traffic (also untrue) and that everyone had been evacuated from the Park (again, untrue).
On our trip into the very smoky Manning Park, we discovered a very interesting fact about forest fires on a holiday long weekend.
Tourists/travellers were either uninterested in the fire or were in too much of a hurry to get to where they were going that the smoke coming from the fire wasn't even a tourist magnet.
Basically, it was business as usual at Manning Park. With the exception of a lot of forestry vehicles.
We decided to go up Blackwall to the Cascade Lookout and were treated to spectacular views of the region, from high above the smoke clouds. If you had no idea about the fire, you'd swear it was just an extra foggy day.
We took some pictures and headed home.
The next day we ended up getting interviewed on CTV Newsnet about the fire. In the pre-interview we explained the fire was (at that time) nearly 70-kilometres away from us. There was a sound of disappointment from the big city newsie that we weren't packing our belongings and waiting for the next train out of town.
"But you were in Manning Park yesterday, right?" We were asked.
"Yes, we were."
"Then you have first hand knowledge of the fire."
Our first hand knowledge amounted to some pretty pictures taken from Cascade Lookout and that was 'good enough' to get on national TV about a fire that technically is not really all that close to us.
Another national network had a reporter in front of a Manning Park landmark talking about the fire, but they identified the location as PRINCETON, BC.
Arrrgghhh!
No wonder us small town media types have problems getting information at times. The big time news types have a way of twisting facts into something so totally different from the truth.
We know the crews are working hard on the fire lines and appreciate the job they are doing.
The reason why you don't hear much about that is it apparently doesn't make good news.
