Get it right!
By TheRealDawn
@dawnald (85137)
Shingle Springs, California
February 26, 2010 10:37am CST
So I was watching the Olympics last night. I stayed up until 12 watching the skating, so I'm not exactly awake this morning. 
It was not a surprise that Kim Yu-na won or that Mao Asada and Joannie Rochette took the silver and bronze medals respectively.
What was a really pleasant surprise was that everybody skated really well. For sure the top six skaters did. Not sure about 7 through 12, since the network didn't show most of them 
, but based on Laura Lepisto's results, at least one did. American Mirai Nagasu skated a gorgeous performance and pulled up from 6th to 4th.
This morning I read about it in the paper. The article mentioned that American Rachel Flatt had not skated her best and had fallen to 7th place. WTH? Did this person even watch the skating? Did this person even listen to the commentators? I don't think so. I believe whoever wrote the article looked at the result and came to a wrong conclusion.
Fact is, Rachel skated a personal best and a really nice program. But so did the 6 skaters who finished above her (well I can't speak for Lepisto since I didn't actually see it). The commentators all remarked on how well she had skated and that this was the best they had ever seen her skate. Thing is, her personal best was only good for 7th place.
I realize that nobody will care tomorrow except possibly Rachel, her friends and family and a few skating fans, but geez. If you're going to report on something, get it right! 
It was not a surprise that Kim Yu-na won or that Mao Asada and Joannie Rochette took the silver and bronze medals respectively.
What was a really pleasant surprise was that everybody skated really well. For sure the top six skaters did. Not sure about 7 through 12, since the network didn't show most of them , but based on Laura Lepisto's results, at least one did. American Mirai Nagasu skated a gorgeous performance and pulled up from 6th to 4th.
This morning I read about it in the paper. The article mentioned that American Rachel Flatt had not skated her best and had fallen to 7th place. WTH? Did this person even watch the skating? Did this person even listen to the commentators? I don't think so. I believe whoever wrote the article looked at the result and came to a wrong conclusion.
Fact is, Rachel skated a personal best and a really nice program. But so did the 6 skaters who finished above her (well I can't speak for Lepisto since I didn't actually see it). The commentators all remarked on how well she had skated and that this was the best they had ever seen her skate. Thing is, her personal best was only good for 7th place.
I realize that nobody will care tomorrow except possibly Rachel, her friends and family and a few skating fans, but geez. If you're going to report on something, get it right! 3 people like this
6 responses
@silvercoin (2101)
• Lithuania
26 Feb 10
Are you a figure skating fan?I like figure skating.10 years of smiles and tears for my favorite ones.The Korean girl was very strong, I can't disagree with the scores that judges gave her.I think the free program was even better.For all girls.Rachel did her season's best,didn't she?There's no need for media to criticize her.This time girls were more artistic and far more interesting to watch than the guys!Congrats for Evan's gold,btw.
2 people like this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
26 Feb 10
yep, we can!
I wonder how many of the Olympic skaters are going to bail on Worlds this year...
I wonder how many of the Olympic skaters are going to bail on Worlds this year...@silvercoin (2101)
• Lithuania
26 Feb 10
So, we can discuss world championships this year.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Feb 10
oh dawnald I r eally missed that and of coure nobody here seems to be into watching the winter olympics so they were watching some stupid detective story while all the while the most beautiful part of the Olympics was going on so I missed the whole thing. I agree that if
you are reporting coverage of the ice skating you should get the facts
right.
2 people like this
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
26 Feb 10
I haven't been able to watch any of the ice skating, but it is the one event I would like to watch. Just out of interest, how would you rate the current competitors against Torville & Dean? I know they were all hype and show, but I loved watching them. I'd be interested in your opinion.
Newspapers and magazines should be controlled. So often, headlines blaze something that has no resemblance whatever to the story inside. Headlines sell. Stories sell. Truth? Sometimes it has no place.
1 person likes this
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
27 Feb 10
Thanks Dawn. As someone who enjoys ice skating for the entertainment value only (don't know much about the competitive side) I know I was always enthralled by Torville & Dean. As a youngster (I'm showing my age now) I was spellbound by Sonja Henie, but I guess her performance has been greatly overtaken, as has Johhny Weismuller's swimming.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Feb 10
Maybe so, but we probably wouldn't have Torville and Dean if it hadn't been for Sonja Henie. After the 1994 Olympics when they got the bronze medal, they joined Stars on Ice. Their "Dance Contest" routine, in which they poked fun at the judges, was priceless!
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
26 Feb 10
They did show an Australian skater, Cheltzie Lee. She did pretty well.
Torville and Dean were more than hype and show. They were original. I don't know that we'll ever see their like again, though some teams have shown the spark, ie Klimova and Ponomarenko and Annisina and Peizerat. But today's teams (and pairs and singles skaters) have the new judging system somewhat working against them. Each element has points associated with it and everybody is out to rack up the highest number of points. It makes the judging fairer, but it also tends to stifle creativity somewhat.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
26 Feb 10
Sounds like our local paper here. They are always messing something up & getting it wrong. They should be made to put a retraction in there. That's not right to rachel.
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
26 Feb 10
Or if they do, they didn't watch the skating either!
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
26 Feb 10
I would if i was you. I ask all the time about our paper don't they have a proof reader. Guess yours doesn't have one either.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
26 Feb 10
Especially annoying to the people directly affected. I once remember a reporter doing a slanted article on the company my husband worked for. When I heard the real story, I was soooo pissed...
@Orea15 (281)
• United States
26 Feb 10
You just reminded me of the time I was interviewed for my junior high school newspaper. It doesn't matter why, I was doing something interesting. The "reporter" made me feel like a dork when I read the article. I am shy by nature, and I was so mortified that I stopped that activity and never finished the project. I'm sorry now that I reacted that way, but the mortification was very real.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
26 Feb 10
In 6th grade we had to bring in an article and the teacher wanted us to tell him what the reporter's bias was. First time I'd ever considered that they weren't reporting "just the facts"...
@bystander (2292)
• Philippines
27 Feb 10
when it comes to reporting, particularly news, bias always shows, dawnald. sometimes, even competence, or the lack of it, shows in specialty areas, like sports. in particular, you are saying there was a wrong reporting (reading or assessment and conclusion) over the performance of the american skater. that happens every time, because of what i told you. moreover, figure skating is an art-sports combination which would require a good knowledge for a good story. also, without that, even an interview of experts would not have the expected (by those in the know) story output. every reporter wants to get it right, but how about the ability and competence in getting it right. that's the editor's responsibility.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
27 Feb 10
For me it was pretty simple, she skated well (I saw with my own eyes), the commentators said it was the best they had ever seen her skate and when her score came up, they said it was a personal best. Clearly the reporter didn't watch and didn't listen...
@bystander (2292)
• Philippines
27 Feb 10
you're probably correct, i've read only the written accounts. didn't have time to watch the videos. but you know, figure skating is sometimes subjective and the parameters for outside-the-competition area is biased and the pressure of deadline causes some slips to show, including one's judgment...
