Occupy Tents Empty...?

[Kromovaracun]

Hello all,

This isn't a particularly 'new' story, but I think it's important.

I don't know if y'all remember this, but a short while ago when the Occupy London camp was set up, a feature was run in several newspapers (notably the Mail and the Times, I think, and triumphantly posted here by AOG if I remember right) claiming to prove that most of the tents were empty using thermal imagery.

Anyhow, when browsing a tabloid-watching blog with my lunch, I discovered this piece demonstrating that the claims were utterly false:

http://www.guardian.c...tents-rubbish-science

If that wasn't enough (and it isn't on its own), there's also this video demonstrating a large number people entering and exiting a tent registering as empty on similar software:



Most of you have probably gathered that I'm more sympathetic to the Occupy movement than your average man on the street (though to be honest I don't have particularly strong feelings), but putting that aside there's a wider principle here. Despite the fact that everyone (on this site and in society) acknowledges how flawed the press is, do we still trust them too much when the evidence looks most appealing? I'll admit I kind of believed this story myself.

Does this qualify as a smear campaign? Or misinformation? If so, should either of those have a place in our society? Should we expect a trustworthy press or should we simply resign ourselves to the fact it's inherently deceitful?

I realise this comes up a lot on AB but it's important.

[Kromovaracun]

Actually, it might not have been AOG.

I should be careful - I might be carrying out a smear campaign of my own. Apologies if that turns out to be wrong.

[anotheoldgit]

Almost like claiming someone is a criminal without providing any evidence, then later apologising if one got it wrong.

It's what one calls 'edging one's bets'.

[boxtops]

.. or even Hedging them... :-)

[ABerrant]

The claim by one tabloid is refuted next day by another tabloid... so what exactly is your point about the press?

It appears that observing a broad spectrum of offerings by the press, instead of singular outlets, exposes such instances of deceitfulness or untrustworthyness.

[LazyGun]

Anytime the press is caught out making up stuff and presenting it as fact is a victory. They all have editorial narratives that all stories have to conform to, so lazy and dishonest journalism should be shown up for what it is.

[Kromovaracun]

I did say I wasn't particularly convinced just because the Guardian said so - what convinced me more was what the targets of said reporting actually had in response to it - an actual demonstration of how thermal imaging could be utterly misused and misleading.

AOG: Fair point. It would be pretty ignorant of me to overlook the irony of being accidentally misleading in the course of a question on misleading news. However I'm not a journalist - I'm not a member of a profession which derives its entire legitimacy and social justification from the assumption that it will tell the truth at least something approximate to it. I'd put it to you that the questions I've asked are more interesting than my failures as a human being.

[ludwig]

We should resign ourselves to the fact that they're inherently deceitful, but punish them more severely when they're caught doing it.

Of course, if people had any sense they wouldn't buy papers that tell lies and behave despicably, but they don't. If the News of the World hadn't closed itself down it would still be doing a roaring trade today.

I think there's some truth in what you say, that If the lies coincide with our own prejudices we're only too happy to believe them.

[atrollope]

Picture the Newsroom conference at the Daily Mail:

Paul Dacre(for it is he):"Right you w***ers,I want f****ng pictures,of the f****ng terrorists at St Pauls.Make them looking f****ng professional,f****ng futuristic!Let the punters know this ungrateful sh*ts are sloping off home at night ,for a kip under the f****ng duvet.No doubt,breeding,like f****ng rabbits too!!

[bibblebub]

this is the sort of apology that the DM would publish http://is.gd/URMFSN

[scowie]

This video proves nothing. Of course a tent isnt going to heat up if you just dart in and out of it in a matter of seconds. Sleep in it all night and it would be another story.

No one every claimed to be able to see a person inside a tent in infrared. Thermal imaging tells you if the tent itself is warm or cold, i.e. occupied or not.

[Kromovaracun]

But surely thermal sleeping bags (and I'd take a guess that probably most makes of tent as well) are designed to contain heat rather than radiate it/let it escape? Which is what thermal imagery would be picking up on.

As I say, I'm not willing to to trust the Guardian's report hook line and sinker but that does at least raise this alternative.