The reporting on the Mont Louis shipwrecking

Offensive information policy during the first hours following the accident ought to have determined the course of journalistic presentation. Instead, information was put forth and directed by Grenpeace who exploited the issue politically. In Germany as well as in other countries there are hardly any special editors who can actually handle such an issue from their own knowledge. It is only newspapers, radio and TV stations who have scientific editors. Reporting on events like the Mont Louis shipwreck took place mainly on the news pages or even miscellaneous, the latter requiring slogan-like, concise and popular style. Thus, we encounter an enormous collision of interests between the requirement of illustrative style and adequate scientific precision. (orig./HP)