Comments on: I-35W News Coverage

By: Rob Dubinski

Rob Dubinski — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 19:29:14 +0000

Thanks for the input EMM. Hopefully the work of the Minneapolis Star Tribune & St. Paul Pioneer-Press Dispatch will uncover some fruitful information that will help ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.

By: EMM

EMM — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 18:59:18 +0000

I live in Minnesota about one-hour’s drive away from the heart of Minneapolis/St. Paul. I can tell you that the shock and horror of that day was remniscent (on a smaller but still as profound)scale of 9-11. The people of Minnesota were the first, first-responders. They stepped up and down and in instantly and so helped to save many lives.

To your point: the Twin Cities television media are NOT asking the hard questions. They continue to cover this story as the visual it was/is. The Twin Cities newspapers, however, are trying to dig into this story. (See the Minneapolis StarTribune and St. Paul Pioneer-Press Dispatch.) How successful either paper will be depends on how much journalistic enterprise the editors are willing to budget and support.

By: Rob Dubinski

Rob Dubinski — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 21:26:46 +0000

Here are some quick facts about the bridge from MPR (Minnesota Public Radio). Good resource for those seeking more info.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/08/03/bridge_background/?rsssource=1

p.s. I wonder if Hurcon Inc. and Industrial Construction Company, the builder of the bridge, will be held liable for the fatal malfunction of their product.

By: Nate

Nate — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 13:57:25 +0000

It’s funny you mention that…ABC “action news” in Toledo has already begun to be a thorn in the flesh not only for ODOT (Ohio Department of Tranportation) but MDOT. As a result Detroit and Toledo have already readjusted budgets to inpect our local bridges. Detroit has two bridges that are “nearly identical” to the I-35 bridge.
I had to wonder…does ABC really care about the safety of the bridges? Boring News doesn’t sell. The fact that Imus ranked number three in a world full of dangerous stock fluctuations (down 65 in one day?!?!), murder in Gaza strip, and national defit that has dropped to 205 bill, half of what it was in 2004 (see, there is some good news out there) stands as testimony to this, and to what Americans would classify as “boring news.” I would like to see a journalist who could bring less popular but more important topics to the forefront for the sake of “prescriptive” action.