With the latest set of ominous news coming out of Japan in the form of the Nuclear Power plant explosions and threatened and/or occurring meltdowns, I'm reminded of the Nucler Power Plant disaster at Chernobyl and the news that was and wasn't given at the time. The accident, as we all know now, happened on the 26th of April 1986 - but as you'll hear with these news excerpts from April 27-May 5, 1986, very little if any information was actually given regarding the severity of the disaster.

I realize there is a conscious need not to set off widespread panic, and that is understandable. But sometimes the lack of truthful information can be as damaging in the long run. Ironically, even after the true nature of the disaster was disclosed, most news broadcasts chose to bury the disaster news into the third or fourth story. And that was disturbing in the months following Chernobyl. Fortunately, during this current crisis in Japan there is constant news and questioning. However, the non-disclosure of factual information seems very much apparent and that is something that one can only draw Chernobyl-like conclusions to.