Comments on: Woman Dies After Water Drinking Contest

California Woman Dies Of Water Intoxication After Taking Part In Radio Station Contest

[alphaa10-2009]

bbbbbfan sssssaid, "I'm wondering if this tragedy happened on a CBS radio affiliate whether CBS news would carry this story? I feel that the story should not have mentioned the radio station by name... "
---

I read the story with appropriate focus on the events, and, really, could not tell you immediately afterward what the station's name was or its owner.

News of this nature is manifestly a public event. If you read malice into every news story, then anytime a traffic accident involves a public figure or company, you will have Chamber of Commerce PR types coming out of the woodwork to silence public discussion.

Or consider VP Richard "DeadEye" Cheney and his hunting accident. Should the press have kept silent? There certainly was a conspiracy among Cheney and associates to keep the matter quiet-- and understandably so, because of the embarrassment. But embarrassment is not complete justification for secrecy. The shooting happened to a public figure, involved injury, and the facts should not be a secret.

To put the question another way, have you a financial interest in the station?

[alphaa10-2009]

John Geary, vice president and marketing manager for Entercom Sacramento, the station's owner, said station personnel were stunned when they heard of Strange's death.

"We are awaiting information that will help explain how this tragic event occurred," he said.

---

You might think marketers for this station might consult somebody, first, about possible negatives of running any contest in which people compete to the limits of their physical ability.

The operative consideration is "reasonable risk" of injury to contestants.

Clearly, all the risks cannot be anticipated, but water intoxication is a known medical condition, not some bizaare drug interction. See these websites for more information on what water intoxication is, and how to avoid it.

http://www.answers.com/topic/water-intoxication
http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm
(the site following is a private page offering, associated with hot weather activity in the US military)
http://www.alpharubicon.com/med/watertox.html

[candojj1]

I'm wondering if this tragedy happened on a CBS radio affiliate whether CBS news would carry this story? I feel that the story should not have mentioned the radio station by name. It seems malicious for one media company like CBS to try and destroy a smaller company like Entercom Sacramento, LLC. It would suffice to say the name of the woman and what happened without being the hangman for the radio station. What sort of justice can the Sacramento radio station possibly get now? Maybe CBS is trying to engulf and devour Entercom LLC? It's awful. The tragedy to the family is unreal. Yet the story focuses on the radio station's gimicks and not on who will take care of the children or the family. The story seems to push the survivors into suing the radio station. Terrible all around. Horrific.

[emtak1]

sad story--ignorance aint bliss...