It may seem that the media over dramatizes these events, but I'm not sure that's a bad thing. Yes, it's newsworthy, but it'd be even more so if the airplanes hit. John Q-Public has no idea how close airplanes get on a regular basis. Yes, with less than required seperation. It happens more and more. Unfortunately, when a controller speaks out about how bad it's getting, most people think it's just an overpaid, underworked , whiny controller wanting more money. If the public knew the actual facts, instead of what the FAA has told the media in order to paint the controllers as such, then there would be less people angry at the controllers, and more people really pissed at the FAA! We DO NOT all make $165K per year (if we did, I'm still waiting for the other half of my pay from last year), we work more than 45 minutes per hour, especially when we're short staffed and trying to accomplish training. Another thing to remember, no matter how much time we spend on position, we can pack a entire days worth of work into one 2 hour stint! Last home game, I was sequencing number 17 for the back course... It is the public that can get some of these things fixed, not controllers, remember, we can't strike or do job actions, we can get fired at the drop of a hat. It would be better if the public got involved NOW, and talk to your congressmen to get things fixed, before the near misses or near midairs become hits and collisions. Either one isn't too far in the future.