At least that is the implication of our local media … or the way I perceive their reporting of the story.

Most people simply reprint and accept what our local media says without lending any critical thought to the how’s and why’s, or even think about the larger picture.

This is the article in question:

http://www.lvrj.com/news/26371359.html

Basically, some people contacted the Review Journal and told them that they saw construction workers drinking beer, and the newspaper went into balls-to-the walls investigative journalism mode.

I don’t feel like re-typing things, so I am going to plagiarize myself from my own forum posts.

Come on, guys … this is obvious to even those of us with insanely low IQ’s

The RJ is trying to scapegoat the workers for their own deaths.

I know a few people that reported the “harassment stops” by the cops to the RJ, but they want no part of it because they need access to LVMPD. I know about two dozen people that reported the Nevada Power corruption admission to the RJ, but they wanted no part of it because they are monopoly advertisers (bribers).

Who the hell cares about some lowly construction worker?

Surely they can’t affect the bottom line of a newspaper.

And so that is where the “investigative journalism” goes.

“Steve Wynn forcibly grabbed a woman” = “Steve Wynn is not sure if he will press charges against the evil hookers.”

“I saw a construction worker drinking a beer” = “Clear out the newsroom for this one and get to the bottom of it!”

They Forest Gump’ed into the Harrah’s permit story (and got their hand slapped by Harrah’s), so I assure you that the RJ will always pursue most aggressively those things where the common schlub is responsible for some form of wrongdoing.

This way they look like “journalists”, without having to rock the boat or bite the hands that feed them.

“Alcohol, drugs or both were present in 19 percent of all workplace fatalities, according to a 1998 study of toxicology reports of work-related injuries conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of the 593 toxicology reports submitted by 39 states including Nevada, alcohol was identified in 284 cases.

National statistics show that alcohol and drug use are major factors in construction site accidents.“

Define “major”.

By those stats, 9% of the construction deaths were due to alcohol. They don’t specify drug methodology. Smoke pot 15 days ago or 15 minutes before the job?

Illegal drugs, or two prescription Lortabs taken the night before by a construction worker with back strain?

In any event, 81-91% of the deaths were attributable to other things.

What were those other things, how “major” were they and who is responsible?

Fine, the workers were caught drinking beer redhanded. Kudos RJ!!! It was a worthy observation, and it was a legitimate story.

Now, what about everything else?

Let us all hope that the reaction is only half as swift when they “receive letters to the editor” about other things.

I’ll personally write a couple of “letters to the editor” with concrete leads for some exceptionally newsworthy stories.

I’ll be sure to let everyone know how it goes.