Panic mode

Posted at 7:01 AM on December 27, 2007 by Bob Collins (4 Comments)

There's nothing like a good panic during a slow news week -- or any other time if you're in the news business.

We can take it. And a Web site, Panic Watch, can dish it out, organizing the endless "crisis" stories in one spot so that when you look at it, you realize the absurdity of it all.

On the site's list of "bad links," is this one:

The Power Line Task Force (PLTF), is a group of homeowners living near a power line in Minnesota. They wear special costumes with capes and have dedicated their lives to perpetuating old studies and myths about high tension lines causing childhood leukemia.

Visiting the site, we find it hasn't been updated since June 2005, which makes one wonder if they're OK.

(h/t: John Pearson)

---

Comments (4)

Time for a News Cut follow-up?

I found the "Media Panic Rankings" lists very very interesting.

-Julia
Interactive Producer, MPR

Posted by Julia Schrenkler | December 27, 2007 7:55 AM

---

How would you rank our Minnesota crises? Aside from the Vikings' quarterback situation, that is.

Posted by Bob Collins | December 27, 2007 8:28 AM

---

A crisis, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. While it isn't pleasant to think that Minnesota could "drop from eight to seven congressional districts" I'm not so upset that I'm procreating over it.

We seem to have our hands and minds full of universal panics like health, war, and the economy.

But you're right, some crises seem to be Minnesotan, like having to warn people - AGAIN - not to walk or drive on thin ice. And who knows, if the levels aren't shrinking, that H20 might be chock-full o' chemicals.

How's that for a speed drop? Not exactly a ranking. I'm open to better suggestions from the good people out there.

-Julia
Interactive Producer, MPR

Posted by Julia Schrenkler | December 27, 2007 9:30 AM

---

The Power Line Task Force is alive and well, I'm sure. They are undoubtedly gearing up for an inevitable and massive increase in membership.

This will be the result of the realization that it will take more than 2200 miles of high-voltage power lines to accomodate the legislative mandate on renewable energy.

Or, at least, that's what the Public Utilities Commission reported earlier this year.

Posted by dwp4401 | December 27, 2007 7:26 PM

---

Post a comment

The following HTML tags are allowed in your comments:
+ Bold: <b>Text</b>
+ Italic: <i>Text</i>
+ Link: <a href="http://url" target="_blank">Link</a>
Fields marked with * are required.

Name*:

E-mail Address*:

URL:

Remember personal info?

Comments*:

Comment Preview appears above this form upon pressing the "preview" button. Edit your comment and press "preview" again, until you are satisfied with your comment.

Your comment may not appear on the blog until several minutes after it was submitted.

• E-mail this page
• Print this page
• Save to Delicious
• Submit to Digg
• Share this

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories

Become a Sponsor