Bob CollinsJust a few days after the skydivers in and pilots of planes involved in a midair collision over Superior, Wis., made their national TV deal with NBC News, the Duluth News Tribune used its editorial page today to condemn the race for media cash.
The group cut a deal with NBC for exclusive access to the video the skydivers took of the near calamity. The News Tribune wasn’t pleased.
Troubling are any thoughts of any entity looking to parlay a profit, even if used to replace its losses, after planes it was operating collided mid-air and then crashed in large chunks, putting into danger everyone on the ground below.
Shouldn’t safety be the only concern so soon after a near tragedy? Or making sure it never happens again?
And what about the cost to taxpayers for the emergency response and the subsequent federal investigation? To their credit, Superior fire officials aren’t looking for a slice of any payout.
“With findings and determinations, attention eventually can be turned away from money and to where it belongs: making sure recommended changes are made to assure safety, both in the air and on the ground, and to prevent such accidents from ever happening again,” the editorial said.
But there are no great changes needed except one: Don’t fly so close to another plane.
