Reporters On Thin Ice

It's become an annual thing for me. Every year, usually very late November or early December, I'm given a stress test. My heart rate jumps to a pace that surely would bring out any flaws my aging ticker might have. But unlike most, my annual stress test is administered by TV reporters drilling holes in our statewide lake ice conditions. Of course, the DNR "expert" adds some fuel to the test each year too.
The past ten days or more, every Twin City weather person and or a "roving" reporter has suggested to the masses, that our lakes STATEWIDE, are NOT safe. In one case, the whole crew sitting on the news set belittled a guy they had film of, ice fishing on a local lake. Even after they had interviewed him, hearing him say there was 6-8 inches of ice on the small lake, they still ran a general story of how ALL ice is not safe for fishing or any human travel. In that same evening newscast, the DNR "expert" made a blanketing statement that "there is NO safe ice anywhere in Minnesota this week".
It's truly a shame that such irresponsible and inaccurate reports go on air like that every year. Countless businesses around the state, especially in northern sections, are negatively impacted and forced to scramble to save a potentially good crowd of customers after some TV reporter runs his or her mouth about something they have zero experience or hands on knowledge of. Every other sport has people reporting that have athletic backgrounds just so we all get the true flavor and details of the games and all related information we need to have, as fans. Why can't these same newscast producers use or find people from around the state to report lake ice conditions that know what reality is and can convey a true picture to their ice fishing viewers, who are trying to plan outings, in a FAIR fashion? Why have or accept what an inexperieinced weather reporter or gal standing along some shoreline with a mike in hand in the Twin City area, reports on ice safety, in general?
The fact is, that ice safety based on ice thickness is a localized thing. No doubt, there should be caution used no matter the time of the winter season, no matter where you are. But it's just wrong to say the ice isn't safe because somebody fell through where they probably shouldn't have been in the first place! No matter the time of the year. Limits of walleyes can be coming in on Lake Mille Lacs or snowmobiles can be safely running on 100's of thousands of safe ice in the Brainerd Lakes area, even if someone drowns on a perrenially unsafe channel at Lake Minnetonka! Ice statewide can be as safe it can be, statewide (or even lake wide), even if someone crashes a truck through the ice, trying to cross a crack on Lake Mille Lacs without a bridge!
Why not make these facts part of ALL ice safety related stories? Why not be responsible news outlets by using sources that have a day to day handle on and years of experience determining if ice on a certain lake or in a certain popular tourist region is safe or not? And the DNR "expert" has no business either, making general reports, especially statewide, while standing at some public access 5 minutes from his St. Paul office. If you're gonna report, than chop holes in every county or at least on every ice fishing mecca in the state! Or better yet, get cameras and mikes on people that know what the present reality of ice safety is.
Contact Steve at 651-270-3383 or at sf1954@embarqmail.com