[Scan-DC] Carriers Deny Cell Shutdown Following Boston Bombings

[Ed Tobias]

The Secret Service also routinely jams cell phones during the Inaugural parade and, perhaps, during other, selected, POTUS appearances.

As someone who spent 40+ years in the news media I agree that, unfortunately, many in news are far to quick, these days, to report "shaky" information...much of it from social media or scanners.  These are great sources for story tips but the info, obviously, needs to be verified before being used.  Displaying tweets on the air, even with the disclaimer that "we can't verify this but here's what's being said" - and I've seen this done - is unprofessional, unhelpful and dangerous.

Some of this is due to competition, some is due to a lack of solid journalistic training and some is due to budget cuts that have emaciated newsroom staffs and removed a significant amount of editorial oversight.

Forgive the rant, but I cringe far too frequently these days when watching local TV and cable network news. (Not so much with radio, the broadcast networks or the best newspapers).

Ed

Sent from my iPad

On Apr 16, 2013, at 8:41 PM, Brian Rokus <brianrokus at hotmail.com> wrote:

> It turns out there IS a procedure for shutting down cell networks, even on a large-scale: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2013/04/cellphones_after_boston_marathon_bombing_can_the_government_shut_down_towers.html
>> From: onecharliesix at verizon.net
>> To: brucebharper at gmail.com; scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
>> Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:07:34 -0400
>> Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Carriers Deny Cell Shutdown Following Boston Bombings
>> 
>>   I am glad some one brought this up and figured it out. As much as the 
>> media wants to
>> believe it is like a television show or movie, there is no way any cell 
>> company would be
>> able to be that cognitive and have the capability to "shut down" an entire 
>> city. Its just amazing
>> that in today's media ...there is no fact checking any more..Oh wait-- it 
>> was on Twitter and Facebook.
>> It must be true...Just a case of overload within the site.
>> Jeff    Boston
>> 
>> --------------------------------------------------
>> From: "Bruce Harper" <brucebharper at gmail.com>
>> Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 3:51 PM
>> To: "Scan DC" <scan-dc at mailman.qth.net>
>> Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Carriers Deny Cell Shutdown Following Boston Bombings
>> 
>>> On Tue, Apr 16, 2013 at 2:51 PM, Cathy wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> I have a brother who lives a half mile south of the bombing location in
>>>> Boston.  He was able to call me on his cell phone at 3:21, about 30 
>>>> minutes
>>>> after the explosions.  He said he had been trying before that but 
>>>> couldn't
>>>> make a call.  Sounds to me like overloaded towers more than any attempt 
>>>> to
>>>> suppress calling.
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> Been there, have seen that, six years ago today when it all hit the fan
>>> here at Virginia Tech. Once the police secured Norris Hall and rescue
>>> squads entered the building, radio traffic was in the open. But when
>>> someone doing triage reported "30 black" further discussions went to cell
>>> phone -- for a short while. The landlines and cell services couldn't 
>>> handle
>>> the volume of traffic that hit all at once as people on campus called (or
>>> tried to) to let parents and family know they were OK and worried parents
>>> called their children to check on their status. This was before text
>>> messaging was the more prevalent way to communicate. It was a number of
>>> hours before things quieted down enough for people to be able to
>>> communicate again. One of the more chilling things that the first
>>> responders don't talk much about was working through the aftermath and
>>> hearing the repeated ringing of cell phones from backpacks left behind.
>>> 
>>> Bruce in Blacksburg
>> 
>> 
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Scan-DC mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/scan-dc
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:Scan-DC at mailman.qth.net
>> 
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>                         
> ______________________________________________________________
> Scan-DC mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/scan-dc
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Scan-DC at mailman.qth.net
> 
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html