Media should take responsibility for deceiving people about `diving bell`

Lee Jong-in, head of Alpha Marine and Underwater Technical Service Co., claimed on JTBC`s primetime news show on April 18 that divers searching the victims of the sunken ferry Sewol would be able to complete the search of the third and fourth floors and the cargo section of the ferry with his much-touted "diving bell." After the news program, major Internet portal sites were inundated with comments criticizing the government for refusing to use the diving bell. JTBC anchorman Sohn Suk-hee interviewed Lee once again before the latter went to Jindo to put the diving bell into the water, inflating the hopes by the families of the missing victims.

However, Lee withdrew the diving bell from the site Thursday after causing delays in the main search operation after failing five times over the past week to put the diving bell into the water. He managed to do so on Thursday but failed to find any missing victim. Who should take the responsibility for causing delays in the rescue operation and disappointing the victims` families? Lee, who trumpeted about his diving bell, and the cable-TV channel that reported on his claims without filtering are silent now.

When the South Korean warship Cheonan sank after a North Korean torpedo attack in 2010, Lee claimed that the ship went aground. This time, he said he would withdraw from the site because he was "concerned" that the diving bell`s "extraordinary results" could negatively affect the morale of other rescue workers. Then, he finally revealed his true intention, saying that he thought he would get a "good opportunity" for his business.

Lee Sang-ho, a former MBC reporter who resigned over personal irregularities, played his own part. Now a reporter of an Internet news site, he criticized the government for not using the diving bell and pressured the coast guard chief to call for Lee`s help.

The government, which has lost the public trust, is primarily responsible for letting people of half knowledge and expertise run around like fish in water. However, some media outlets should also be held responsible for letting them delude the world and deceive people. The Korea Communications Commission needs to impose strong sanctions on JTBC for broadcasting populistic news reports despite their social responsibility.