DC Plane Collision: Media Ignores Cockpit Audio In Favor Of Sensationalism

A Deeper Study Into The Details Overlooked By The Media About The DC Mid-Air Collision

Media spectacle, sadly, is nothing new. However, when the loss of humanity is involved in a news story, sensationalism from the media feels particularly shallow and tacky.

This was the case with the collision of a commercial jet and Blackhawk military helicopter near Washington, D.C. - the most serious and devastating disaster to occur in U.S. airspace in a decade and a half.

More than 60 were killed in the crash. After colliding with the helicopter, the plane crashed into the freezing Potomac river.

The mainstream media was quick to speculate, with legacy networks bringing on correspondents, experts, and contributors to give their perspectives and stances on how the horrific incident happened.

At one point - Pete Muntean, a CNN correspondent, as well as pilot and flight instructor, used a model plane and his hands to “show” viewers how the crash likely transpired despite actual footage of the crash existing.

Don’t worry, the legacy media made sure to play that, too.

Cockpit audio recordings from the mid-air collision reveal the true nature of the crash, but CNN and other legacy outlets didn’t bother to report on the audio in the immediate hours after the collision occurred.

The airliner and helicopter collided late in the afternoon, just as the evening was beginning. Arguably, the crash, being around 6 p.m., was at a time of peak traffic on the ground below as commuters were likely headed home.

The cockpit audio of the Blackhawk military helicopter shows the crew reporting visual contact with the American Airlines passenger jet and didn’t alter their course despite warnings of the oncoming collision.

From dinner time on, no substantive reporting happened during that following evening. Instead of acting as if the collision was merely a freak accident, legacy media outlets could have pointed out instead of the expected emergency maneuvers, the Blackhawk maintained its course.

The cockpit audio reveals moments where the standard protocols for collision avoidance weren’t followed. If any warnings or instructions came from air traffic control at the critical point where the incident could have been avoided, they didn’t seem to be heeded.

It isn’t surprising: water is wet, the sky is blue, the media sensationalizes the news. However, the approach of sensationalizing the news prioritizes immediate ratings over any thorough investigation, leaving the public with an incomplete picture of events more often than not.

This merely reflects a trend in the overall practices of the media, particularly legacy media outlets like CNN, where click-worthy and dramatic narratives reign over fact-based, comprehensive investigations into the news they report.