PigPen wrote:pretty unexcusable with the way the families were leaked the wrong info.
I don't think you can say they were "leaked" the wrong info. In that kind of situation, misinformation can spread like wildfire. My understanding is that someone heard a message on a speaker in the mine and spread the word to the church. I'm sure it wasn't the company doing it to raise hopes. The president of the company felt bad that they didn't squelch it quicker (supposedly they knew it was likely wrong about 45 minutes later, but wanted to be sure of the facts).
It was a tragic turn, and I'm no apologist for mining companies. (PigPen, you ever see the documentary "Harlan County USA"? Incredible, powerful story. Rent it if you haven't seen it. with your background it would be riveting.)
The rest of the story about the media just reflects the insatiable thirst for news/gossip/rumor/celebrity that drives the 24/7 cable news industry.