Kite and reporters will screw you up!

[The Kite House]

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/oct...?news-breaking


wish people would point out that we have safety systems ect and this was rider error, this makes look very bad for the sport. I got this because i was called by 2 other publications that want to do story's on kiteboarding dangers.

I spent 10 minutes pointing out the safety systems and speaking about how safe kiting is on video.
The video taping was witnessed. It was all edited out.
In addition, I was misquoted several times in the written piece. This interview, unfortunately, was not witnessed.

Thanks for assuming before asking what happened, Paul.
In addition, I posted this on the forum yesterday, with an explanation, I guess you didn't read about it on here.
If you think I would not speak of safety and attempt to do otherwise, you are hugely mistaken.

http://www.fksa.org/showthread.php?t=4739&page=5

I was originally told the story was going to feature safety and their goal was to show how safe kiting is.
In addition, they told me they wanted to discuss the growth of the sport, number of riders, etc.
I spoke on the phone for about 15 minutes. My quotes are actually inserts of things I didn't even mention.
The most obvious being the size of the kite quote. I had no idea what kite size was in use, so, why I would comment on it is beyond me.

Even with the misquotes, I think that rider error is obviously mentioned in the article.


I wrote Keith yesterday and spoke with others in attempts to get this lame ass shit off the 'net and out of the paper. He wrote me back saying basically "Thanks, you were a big help".

I would recommend no one talk with the press. They obviously will slant whatever you say.
I went into this after speaking with RickI for a half hour on "plan of attack/what to say" and took it very seriously. If they are going to twist how I phrased it, good luck with your efforts on getting more accurate quotes.

[The Kite House]

ok, let me re add , people and reporters, as they only want doom and glum, you have to state facts to them, and also make it a point that not to mis quote or delete facts as they are obligated to.

The other 2 that are digging around are asking even more stuff on how people get killed so easy and hurt. I am not going to answer any of that.

"Thanks for assuming before asking" i am doing what every other person is doing that is reading this article...assuming this is how it is....nothing personal but they always mis quote, and it sucks....parks and places use this as amo

[ricki]

I was astonished about the misquotes and errors in the article, even better attributed to me. Credibility and fact checking are totally optional. We just swapped emails on the subject:

"I wasn't aware that you had tried to get in touch with me via email or phone. I have no record of any attempted contact on your part, unlike that of another journalist in the Bay area.

Hung Vu* compiled that dated information several years ago from KSI data that you referenced as your information source in your email. This is an INTERNATIONAL database and is not limited to the USA alone. It doesn't claim to list ALL accidents in any country or worldwide for that matter, only those that I heard about and chose to write up. Hung's table lists the total number of accidents for the FOUR years, worldwide as it happens as 105 (2000 - 2003). There were only 21 accidents listed in 2003 as opposed to 59 in 2002.

There were NO kiteboarding fatalities in the USA that I know of in EITHER 2003 or 2000. The total number of fatalities Hung lists WORLDWIDE in 2003 was ONE and NOT 14 as you erroneously reported (cited for the USA, which again had NO fatalities).

The obvious trend suggested by Hung's information, if properly interpreted is that kiting accidents ARE DECEASING worldwide in direct opposition to the title of your article. There is NO USA specific data in Hung's presentation.

I've been quoted in publications worldwide, NY Times, WSJ, Financial Times, Time Mag., etc.. Fact checking with the source was almost always a priority. Were I in your profession, I would attempt to do this to the best of my abilities as time allows. Failing that, I would be reluctant to cite that source. This practice would hopefully minimize critical interpretative errors and misquotes that will damage credibility.

Good luck,
Rick Iossi (spelling corrected)

* http://www.kitesurfingschool.org/saf...t%20Statistics

_________________________> Subject: Rick, just got your message this morning.> Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007 07:23:22 -0400> From: KMorelli@tampatrib.com> To: flkitesurfer@hotmail.com>> Hey, sorry I didn’t reach you yesterday. I Googled your name and got the Web site of www.kitesurfingschool.org and they presented the chart of accidents from 2000 and 2003. The site said the data was compiled by you. Sorry for the mix up, if there was one.> Keith Morelli> The Tampa Tribune> 200 S. Parker St.> Tampa, Fla. 33606> Office: (813) 259-7760> Cell: (813) 731-8144"

Okay. I did PM you, Paul, asking your views (as opposed to doing it on the forum).
If you were saying you wish reporters would get their heads outta their asses and report the info that they received, I agree. Trust me, I did everything I could to talk safety and say we are exceptionally safe and defend us as a community.
I can't even express to you how much it hurt me to see the title of the headline, have the facts twisted, etc.
Especially the quote regarding Chris and kite size. That's a flat out lie and makes it look like I am standing back judging the kid while he is in the hospital. That quote pissed me off more than you know.

Leaving EVERYTHING out about safety is a joke, but actually inserting an unmade quote is lying. They can literally go fu.k themselves, is my take on TBO.

Sorry, I took it as wish people (kiters) would discuss safety.
I am exceptionally touchy on this subject right now and extremely mad at how badly I (and all of us) was misrepresented. I apologize if I mistook your meaning.

I also was exceptionally reluctant to do the interview, because I know that reporters are losers.
My final determination to do it was that I would watch my words closely, possibly more so than anyone else doing the interview.
I never imagined that flat out made up quotes would be made. Again, I highly recommend no one talk to the press.
They appear to have license to lie. If you do, tape record the conversation. I was actually going to do this, but we did the interview over the phone as I was driving to Skyway Jack's to meet Bob.
It wasn't even with who I thought it was going to be with.

"Sorry for the mess-up if there was one." That's exactly what my email says. What an ass.

Paul and Rick.

One way to get information out on this article, is just to write it yourself.
Notice the comments section at the bottom.

It would be nice, Rick, if you could put the actual stats in a short write-up.
Paul, feel free to add any safety you wish.
I simply focussed on one thing.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/oct...?news-breaking

[ricki]

Paul,

Scott took special pains to try to avoid something like this. He had misgivings about inaccurate reporting at the onset. Witnesses stated Scott covered things well in the interview. Poor reporting altered the direction of his comments.

If there are problems, they lay with the reporter and his publication. Not Scott for trying to represent the facts in as effective manner as he could manage. They easily could have interviewed someone with less experience who might have actually given inflammatory, ill considered and inaccurate statements. Scott did the best he could, bears no fault in this that I can see. The "news" will be written, we did the best we could to try to make it accurate.

The good news is that Christopher is on the mend, wind is on the way and the media's attention shifts to new stories at an incredible pace.

[marina c]

Guys, the general media is always looking for the sensational story (thanks Fox News!) so obviously they are going to take what creates the most drama. Safety isn't sexy. In the future, I would just continually repeat what you are trying to get across and take control of the interview. If they are digging for dirt and you feel there is any chance reporters can take your words out of context, just say no comment.

Try to be as concise as possible so there is as little chance as possible of them screwing it up.

Maybe write a letter to the editor. People that read newspapers normally at least puruse this section....

[The Kite House]

I hear ya scott, and for sure i understand being sensitive, i guess i am so used to journalist screwing it it, i talk thinking everyone understands. Anyway freaked me when got a call from a huge newspaper looking into how many people are getting hurt and how dangerous it is....all i said is "Anything in the world is only as dangerous as the person doing it".
when i was asked for an example i said" driving a car speed limit or below with no other cars around...safe and normal....and driving off a cliff........how why , doesn't matter the person behind the wheel had the last say"

Anyway, i dont want to give this more time than it deserives, but i have put a letter together for the paper and the editor, as a reporter does have guidelines to follow to print facts when describing an incident.

Every year first front a big depression and no wind for a while = someone getting it on with to much power and thinking they have control....if i am right this is the 3rd or 4th year...

That's reasonable advice Marina that I was aware of going into the interview.
Paul, I said similar ideas.

Out of context isn't the issue.
Out of thin blue sky is the issue. Keith made stuff up, put it in quotes, and put my name in front of it. It's that simple.
He is an exceptionally lazy reporter, screwing up even the simplest of provided information.
He asked me about the break down of our rider's ages in one question.
I gave a specific "best guess" answer, including the number of teens, and thoses over 50.
Yet, he states all the riders are in their 20's and 30's. Well, I am 40, what a dumbass.

In addition, we talked for about 2 minutes as to why St. Pete is such a great place for riding and he asked if I could ride every day. I stated clearly that mother nature won't let me ride every day, that the sport is wind dependent. However, in the article, he states it blows all the time at the coast. I also made it clear we ride in different areas on different wind directions, (not just the coastline).
Again, seems minor to many, but to me, this represents how lazy this guy is and proves he didn't keep a single note on any conversation.

Add to that the captions associated with the pictures can't even distinguish between left and right and I begin to wonder just how little attention was given to anything. Right and left is fairly straightforward.

The primary reason I am still so mad, and will be every time I think of this, is that I wanted to paint us as a group in the best possible light, without insulting Chris. I watched my language exceptionally closely and monitored myself. It didn't add up to squat with this lame guy. He obviously lacks the ability to take notes or remember a conversation. I already stated my feelings on the comments section and already wrote him as well.

I recommend not granting any interviews to the press, especially if they claim they want to paint a positive picture of the sport in response to the other recently published articles that had a negative slant.

I need to forget about this soon because my blood pressure and odds of decking this guy are both rising.
I am checking off the forum for a while.