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BEAR LAKE — There's been an outpouring of support from across the country for the families of those affected by the tragedy at Bear Lake two weeks ago. It was a story full of faith and prayer, but one family says the national media edited out all of that.
The family of one of the Bear Lake survivors said religion does have a place in Americans' lives and they are fighting to make sure that story is told.
The two 13-year-old girls who swam in the cold, high waves and wind for hours agreed to talk to Good Morning America a few days after the tragedy. The father of one of girl's, Lance Tilley, said they agreed to be interviewed in part to share the fundraising information for their friends the Hadleys and Capeners, who had lost loved ones.
Tilley said ABC agreed, but the fundraising information was cut out of the piece. In the hours-long interview, the teens shared how their faith got them through the ordeal. But in the video piece that aired that next morning, the ABC reporter showed a clip from the movie Finding Nemo and said the quote “Just keep swimming” kept the girls going.
“It had nothing to do with Nemo, but it left out everything the girls said had saved them,” Tilley said. “It was anything but the interview the girls gave. They left out prayer, they left out faith, they left out God, they left out anything that had to do with primary songs.”
"This is what the girls believe, this is what the girls say saved them, and I agree. Thousands of people across the country agree with it." Lance Tilley
This was the first time the girls had spoken to any media outlet and it was on national television. Tilley said it felt like ABC completely ignored the religion aspect on purpose.
"This is what the girls believe, this is what the girls say saved them, and I agree," Tilley said. "Thousands of people across the country agree with it."
KSL reached out to ABC to find out why the omission occurred, but their only response was “no comment.”
BYU journalism professor Joel Campbell said it is unsure if the Good Morning America reporter, writers or editors were editing for content or for time.
“I think they just decided to focus on that they survived the accident and it was a tragedy,” Campbell said.
Campbell studies media and religion and said this case reflects on the growing issue of religion literacy in the media and in America. He added that this may indicate reporters reflecting Americans' weakening identification with religion.
“Maybe even the feelings of uneasiness that they don’t understand it, or it feels weird to talk about religious things, or faith,” Campbell said.
Tilley never heard anything back from ABC when he shared his concerns on a Facebook post that went viral. However, he said a later interview with the girls with KSL has led to an outpouring of support.
“I have been overwhelmed at how many people, from different areas of the country, even outside of the United States, have texted or called or Facebook messaged us," he said. "They talk about God, they talk about how they know what the real story is."
“I’ve been hugged by complete strangers, and it’s OK,” he said. “I know they know what my daughter went through. I know it was their faith, and their prayers and determination. They shouldn’t be alive today.”
ABC later changed the written version of the story on their website to add back in those faith aspects, but the video piece remains the same. They also added the GoFundMe websites for the Hadleys and Capeners.
