Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:00 pm Post subject: KTLA report on Brown Widows FAILS
(I posted this on a number of other blogs, including facebook. so, where people who DON'T know about these spiders. I know you guys know the right information. but I thought i'd post my complete review.)
KTLA News has reported incorrect information last night, and this morning, on the Southern California Brown Widow Spider (Latrodectus geometricus).
"A New Breed of Poisonous Spider Invading SoCal" reads not only on their website, but also on their twitter feed, and live on Air. They continue to report "The brown widow's venom is more potent than the venom of its cousin, the black widow, and one bite can send a person to the hospital." They proceed to note their sources which are CalPoison.org http://www.calpoison.org/public/spiders.html , and wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_widow_spider .
Allow me to explain the problems with this. The calpoison.org website only mentions black widows and brown recluses (a completely different spider). The wikipedia scource, (which wiki should never be sourced) states that ONE professor in Florida claims the spider to be more potent than the black widow. An actual credible source from UCRiverside (known for it's Entomology department and labs) contradicts this information: http://cisr.ucr.edu/brown_widow_spider.html
To mention a few other irritating points, this story has been reported before, nearly 2 years ago in the Orange County Register (and they said the same ridiculous reports)! The spiders have been in SoCal since 2000, and is OLD NEWS.
The Brown Widow is of no medical concern and they've already been here. Good job, KTLA for getting a story, that would strike fear into millions, completely wrong.
Send this information around, and PLEASE email KTLA to correct this information. It's frustrating and embarrassing.
When will the news media ever learn....research before going public on these things.
They won't. The media is there to 'cause *fear* and *panic*, you have to remember there is lots of money to be made on both of these _________________ God does not play at dice AE
The media is there to 'cause *fear* and *panic*, you have to remember there is lots of money to be made on both of these
doesn't mean they should spread lies (whether they know it or not). Too bad, though, 'cuz it makes me wonder what else they're fabricating just to get a story...
_________________ Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.
- C.S Lewis
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