Yellow journalism/demonizing a community, or legitimate news story?

[unicorn]

Although we'd been told that all cabins had been sold out for our cruise, we were surprised on the 2nd day of our cruise by the announcement that a number of suites were available for upgrade. "I wished I'd known before getting unpacked," I grumbled. Then there were rumors that 12 or maybe even 25 of the 5500 passengers got arrested, all carrying methamphetamines, and most with other substances as well. Then news stories got printed in a number of gay publications including Instinct and The Advocate, prompting some others to grumble at how our own publications were demonizing our own community. (I suspect that the sniffing dogs were trained to find meth, as those without meth didn't seem to get arrested). I found the story legitimately news-worthy, although it does portray the gay community in a bad light. It's too bad they had to specifically call out the arrestees, however. I suspect they'll be out of a job when they go back home...

https://www.advocate.com/news/crime/atlantis-cruise-drug-arrests

"...In a statement, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Detective Joseph R. Peguero Rivera told The Advocate that deputies were called in around 6 p.m. Sunday to assist CBP with a drug enforcement operation at PortMiami.

“MDSO arrested a total of nine individuals on various drug-related charges,” he said, involving MDMA or ecstasy, LSD, and cocaine. The arrest reports also reference ketamine, methamphetamine, and GHB precursor GBL, among the substances seized.

Court records show those charged are Joshua S. Eddy, 41, of West Hollywood, California; Brad R. Kloha, 41, of Nashville, Tennessee; Adam Jones, 49, of Atlanta, Georgia; Hoi Le, 51, of San Francisco; Joshua Lee Jenkins, 39, of Tacoma, Washington; Ryan D. Medrano, 27, of Phoenix, Arizona; Tamar J. Wilson, 37, of Chicago; Daisuke Nakanoh, 40, of Chicago; and Ricardo Gabriel Junquera, 39, of Miami.."..

https://instinctmagazine.com/tourists-arrested-gay-cruise/

"...On Sunday, as everyone was excitedly lining up to board the Symphony of the Seas, the usual pre-cruise chaos took an unexpected turn. Instead of the usual luggage checks and occasional confused tourist, trained dogs were on duty, sniffing their way through bags. And, let’s just say… these dogs weren’t there for the scent of sunscreen and sea air. So here are the alleged facts and charges in these arrests. Note: no one knows if they were carrying the drugs to use or to sell or both...". 

(Nb: the quantities for which these men were arrested suggests to me that sales would be involved)

So do you think it's yellow journalism, just intended as click-bait, or legitimate news stories?

[Ian here]

So what was your upgrade like compared to your 1st cabin?

[caeron]

 

Well, if you deal drugs in the gay community, I'd think you'd want to know you might get arrested before boarding your gay cruise. And even if you're just carrying for your own use, wouldn't you want to know that it might get you arrested? Seems the story is a useful warning to me.

I doubt the police just showed up on their own. I imagine somebody tipped them off. Could have well been the cruise line or the like who noted drug problems on prior cruises.

As one of the articles noted, they've had multiple deaths during these events (though they state they weren't drug related). Nobody wants that kind of publicity.

That said, the naming and shaming is bullshit.

[floridarob]

24 minutes ago, Ian here said:

So what was your upgrade like compared to your 1st cabin?

People sometimes associate upgrades,  being free...... such as with hotels/car rentals/flights..... not a thing on cruises. They are revenue paid upgrades (unless you have contacts, at the corp level or at least a 3 stripe officer).

I'd be interested in they listed a price or were waiting for people to make a bid/offer.

[unicorn]

2 hours ago, Ian here said:

So what was your upgrade like compared to your 1st cabin?

We didn't upgrade. Too much trouble packing and repacking. I was tempted, though.

[unicorn]

2 hours ago, floridarob said:

People sometimes associate upgrades,  being free...... such as with hotels/car rentals/flights..... not a thing on cruises. They are revenue paid upgrades (unless you have contacts, at the corp level or at least a 3 stripe officer).

I'd be interested in they listed a price or were waiting for people to make a bid/offer.

I could try to find out--though they probably wouldn't tell me at this point. I got these tix the first day they came available to prior Atlantis guests. The suites weren't available, and I learned later that you must call and ask them specifically for a suite, because some of them are "party-central," and I think they need to warn people of those suites. I usually get Junior Suites on Royal Caribbean, but for this cruise I just got the "extra-sized balcony." 

[Pete1111]

6 hours ago, unicorn said:

Although we'd been told that all cabins had been sold out for our cruise, we were surprised on the 2nd day of our cruise by the announcement that a number of suites were available for upgrade. "I wished I'd known before getting unpacked," I grumbled. Then there were rumors that 12 or maybe even 25 of the 5500 passengers got arrested, all carrying methamphetamines, and most with other substances as well. Then news stories got printed in a number of gay publications including Instinct and The Advocate, prompting some others to grumble at how our own publications were demonizing our own community. (I suspect that the sniffing dogs were trained to find meth, as those without meth didn't seem to get arrested). I found the story legitimately news-worthy, although it does portray the gay community in a bad light. It's too bad they had to specifically call out the arrestees, however. I suspect they'll be out of a job when they go back home...

https://www.advocate.com/news/crime/atlantis-cruise-drug-arrests

"...In a statement, Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Detective Joseph R. Peguero Rivera told The Advocate that deputies were called in around 6 p.m. Sunday to assist CBP with a drug enforcement operation at PortMiami.

“MDSO arrested a total of nine individuals on various drug-related charges,” he said, involving MDMA or ecstasy, LSD, and cocaine. The arrest reports also reference ketamine, methamphetamine, and GHB precursor GBL, among the substances seized.

Court records show those charged are Joshua S. Eddy, 41, of West Hollywood, California; Brad R. Kloha, 41, of Nashville, Tennessee; Adam Jones, 49, of Atlanta, Georgia; Hoi Le, 51, of San Francisco; Joshua Lee Jenkins, 39, of Tacoma, Washington; Ryan D. Medrano, 27, of Phoenix, Arizona; Tamar J. Wilson, 37, of Chicago; Daisuke Nakanoh, 40, of Chicago; and Ricardo Gabriel Junquera, 39, of Miami.."..

https://instinctmagazine.com/tourists-arrested-gay-cruise/

"...On Sunday, as everyone was excitedly lining up to board the Symphony of the Seas, the usual pre-cruise chaos took an unexpected turn. Instead of the usual luggage checks and occasional confused tourist, trained dogs were on duty, sniffing their way through bags. And, let’s just say… these dogs weren’t there for the scent of sunscreen and sea air. So here are the alleged facts and charges in these arrests. Note: no one knows if they were carrying the drugs to use or to sell or both...". 

(Nb: the quantities for which these men were arrested suggests to me that sales would be involved)

So do you think it's yellow journalism, just intended as click-bait, or legitimate news stories?

Whether reporting the details of age, hometown, sexual orientation and mugshot of the arrested passengers was in the public interest or yellow journalism is debatable.   

Outfits like The Advocate, Out.com, Instinct, and Queerty are so full of lurid, trashy stories, nothing they report surprises me.  Click-bait is at the center of their revenue stream.   

I don't believe the public needed to know so much personal information about the Miami arrests.  It rubs me the wrong way. 

The local media in Miami also reported much of arrest details.  As a gay man, it's easy to feel like they were treated like zoo animals, on display for everyone to see.

------------------

The cruise ship might have been willing to bargain with you regarding the upgrade, if it's money on top of what they already collected from the perps or others that failed to board.  They probably have a proprietary process in place to deal with it.

 

Remember boys, the Internet is forever.