Glowing Fools

By Mike Scinto

Appearing in the Kettering-Oakwood Times-Times Community Newspapers

Oh, how I long for the days of quality, research-rich journalism in America! Those were the days when ugly, bald guys read the news and had occasional video or slides pop up over their shoulders. And while ratings mattered, they weren’t the driving force behind TV newscasts. No this isn’t another of my rants about what modern TV “news” shows have become, but about a direct and immediate reaction to what they’ve caused today.

In my little suburb in the heartland of America, thousands of miles away from the Fukushima Nuclear Plant in Japan, at our little home town drug store they are almost out of iodine pills. The pills started flying off the shelves here and around the country after the hours of warnings, safety instructions and “science” lessons on protecting yourself from radiation that is “imminent” on-shore in America as a result of the impending meltdown of that facility.

I am by no means an expert on nuclear energy, the consequences of an accident like this or self-protection if it happens. What I am an expert on is the over-reactive nature of today’s ratings-driven, competitive media and total lack of journalistic ethics displayed by those outlets. I am also an expert on the over-hyped fears generated by the Three Mile Island incident in neighboring Pennsylvania in 1979, when I was working as both a TV assignment editor and a radio talk show host. I saw, first-hand, the warnings (although not quite as frightening as today’s) of the impending doom from that accident. While I admittedly haven’t seen EVERYBODY in a several hundred mile radius of TMI in the 32 years since, I can honestly say I haven’t noticed any Siamese triplets, two-headed cab drivers or people glowing in the dark; well, unless you count my neighbor, but I think his is from the case of beer he consumes every day after work! And I still eat a Hershey Bar now and again with the worst effect being that I need a slightly larger belt.

Many of the same emotions were stirred up in us with Chernobyl. And while there were certainly more individuals in the immediate region of Chernobyl injured or killed, once again the clouds carrying certain death across the oceans to America never materialized.

As I opened by stating I am no nuclear expert, I am no fool either. The dueling experts on-air run the gamut from no effect on us whatsoever to making sure we have our affairs in order; and sometimes they babble on the same show! Nope, I’m not running out and buying any iodine tablets, digging an underground shelter behind our house or lining the walls with lead. But if, and only if, we are radiated to oblivion and  you survive, please make sure my original copy of The Beatles White Album on vinyl doesn’t melt; oh wait, what does it matter? I’ll be a crispy critter. Never mind!