CNN: Soulless vultures.

[Zoe]

Ogre: Ogre: Was that the one where the guy was describing trying to hold on to his wife, unsuccessfully? I thought I heard the reporter choke up when she said, “You lost your wife?”

Yes, I saw that one myself. It was one of the stories that Earthworm pitted.

The man’s name was Jackson. Some of the family had been on a roof and the water got too high. He was trying to hang onto his wife and she was slipping away and said she couldn’t hang on anymore and for him to take care of the kids and the grandkids.

The reporter – I don’t remember her name – asked him where he was going. He kind of broke down himself and said, “I don’t know. This is all I got.” He had his grandson with him and nothing else.

That one particular story did more to put a human face on the disaster for me personally.

**Stephe96: As for the dopey reporters? I just ignore them. They know they’re acting melodramatic and over-the-top.

Right. It’s not like this is a big disaster for hundreds of thousands of lives.

Cynical Optimist: Those of you at ground zero must be hearing about it 24/7 for DAYS ON END before it hit. Plenty of time to get the fuck out of Dodge, even if you don’t have a car.

Most of the people in Mississippi did not know that they were going to be ground zero at all. They knew they were once again in an iffy situation and an enormous portion of them did leave. And they didn’t know for days that the hurricane was going to grow to such a massive strength and size.

Flying out wasn’t an option. Not everyone had access to a car. We are talking extreme poverty here. There is not the kind of train service that is available in other parts of the country. People don’t have the money for hotels, gas, and transportation.

I don’t know what should be covered if the devastation that is getting worse in New Orleans isn’t.

The Today show was talking about weddings this morning. You can almost always count on them for perky-feel-good news.

I will agree that “The Situation Room” makes me want to vomit. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so puffed up with self-glorification that absolutely does not deliver.

But keep in mind that these networks are not showing you some of the worst of it. They aren’t showing you the corpses floating in the water. Is that what it would take to touch some of you? Or are you beyond even that?

As for New Orleans, it is the most European of any American city. It’s one of a kind. It’s not for everyone, but a lot of us love it. And a lot of us have people we care about in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Some Dopers live there.

Some people in this thread are pond scum.

[RickJay]

@Trunk

The network is putting that shit out there because people are drawn to it.

That’s not precisely true. The networks are putting it out there because they EXPECT that people will be drawn to it. There aren’t that many catastrophic storms to cover, so they have to guess at what the people want.

As it happens they’ve taken a CNN approach of nonstop repeating of the same ghoulish points and tape. But it’s not necessarily true that the viewing public wouldn’t prefer a more mature and informative, and less vampiric, take on the story. The public just isn’t being given a choice.

You’re putting that shit out there because people are drawn to it.

To look like they’re above being attention mongers, they voice their concern.

To look like you are, you voice your outrage.

You want that shit to go away? Stop posting info about where we can go find it.
[/QUOTE]

[Scissorjack]

@World Eater

Bah, Shatner would have nailed it in one take.

RAINNNN!

[jackelope]

If anyone wants to see some non-sensational, non-hysterical coverage, check out this link.

Specifically, click the links that say “Aerial video of city,” “clip 2,” “clip 3,” etc. Aerial footage from a helipcopter with no narration, no voiceover. It is creepy and horrifying; it’s tough to remind yourself that you’re not watching the latest Hollywood disaster flick. And it really brings home how unimaginably bad the situation is there.

[Eleusis]

Fuck me for watching the news, and learning what’s going on down there.

[Siege]

I live hundreds of miles from New Orleans. I also don’t watch CNN, but I do watch the local news in the morning, mostly for traffic and weather. I also hate hurricanes to a possibly neurotic degree. You see, 13 years ago I was hospitalized nearly catatonic as a result of Hurricane Iniki’s hitting Hawaii where was living. I wasn’t on Kauai, which took a direct hit and there were other factors, but I did evacuate, and I thought my ground floor apartment had been flooded because of news reports at the time. I still remember the fear, which was made worse because I’d seen the damage done by Hurricane Andrew in Florida a few weeks earlier.

As I said, I’m hundreds of miles from New Orleans, although we are getting some additional rain from Hurricane Katrina and we had flood watches until a few hours ago. Nevertheless, the bulk of the news on my local newscast this morning is about hurricane Katrina, as it was Monday. (I didn’t watch yesterday morning.) I’ve screened most of it out, but I’ve been aware of footage of reporters standing as hurricane winds howl about them. I appreciate the calls for volunteers and the warning about hurricane relief scams, but please, I don’t need to see footage of the damage done. I couldn’t do anything 13 years ago; I can’t do anything now. I can, of course, pray, and to those affected by the hurricane, Dopers and others, if you want my prayers, you’ve got them.

CJ

[Earthworm_Jim]

@Eleusis

Fuck me for watching the news, and learning what’s going on down there.

There’s a difference between “learning what’s going on down there” and “finding the most sensationalistic peice of suffering we can & milking it for all its worth”. There’s a difference between “Interviews with some of the thousands left homeless” and “Watch: Screams for help.”

I don’t need my news turned into a Jerry Bruckheimer film.

[Snickers]

What I find the most repulsive is that the talking heads aren’t, you know, helping. Hell, they’ve got working vehicles, communications, the works, but they’re there to capture a story. They’re up in their helicopters taping the other helicopters airlifting people off the roofs. Hello?!

It’s like the comedian said: “If you’re ever behind a videocamera taping me being attacked by some animal, put the fucking camera down and come help me out!”

Someone wondered where the vampires were in New Orleans. That’s them, behind the cameras.

[Kimstu]

@Zoe

Flying out wasn’t an option. Not everyone had access to a car. We are talking extreme poverty here. There is not the kind of train service that is available in other parts of the country. People don’t have the money for hotels, gas, and transportation.

This is what’s baffling some of my Dutch friends and colleagues here in the Netherlands now (where they take breaking dikes and flood evacuation quite seriously)…

“You mean, if they can’t afford to leave the danger area then they just have to stay there? Don’t the bus companies arrange to move everybody out? Doesn’t the government provide emergency assistance for evacuating? Aren’t you, like, the richest country in the world or something? Do you really just leave poor people to drown because they can’t afford to go somewhere else?”

Admittedly, the logistics for dealing with an event like Katrina probably involve significantly longer distances and more people. But I still think they kinda have a point.

[kelly5078]

I’ve been watching the coverage pretty much non-stop. It’s partly because I also live in a vulnerable city (Houston), partly because my daughter goes to LSU, and partly because it’s just gobsmackingly unbelievable. Anyway…

The worst thing I saw was that brain-dead moron Larry King last night. He was interviewing Gov. Blanco, and took a call. The guy said his brother ( I think it was his brother) was trapped in an attic, and his cell phone had gone out. Does Larry say “Where is he?” Hell no, he goes over to Anderson Cooper. Does Cooper say “Where is he?” Hell no, he says, basically, “Boy that’s tough. Back to you, Larry.” So the caller is gone, and Blanco finally says “Could you maybe find out where the guy’s brother is, you senile idiot?” Okay, that’s not her exact phrasing. So King tells the caller he should call back and give the address.

Absolutely disgusting.

[EllisDee]

@Siege

I live hundreds of miles from New Orleans. I also don’t watch CNN, but I do watch the local news in the morning, mostly for traffic and weather. I also hate hurricanes to a possibly neurotic degree. You see, 13 years ago I was hospitalized nearly catatonic as a result of Hurricane Iniki’s hitting Hawaii where was living. I wasn’t on Kauai, which took a direct hit and there were other factors, but I did evacuate, and I thought my ground floor apartment had been flooded because of news reports at the time. I still remember the fear, which was made worse because I’d seen the damage done by Hurricane Andrew in Florida a few weeks earlier.

As I said, I’m hundreds of miles from New Orleans, although we are getting some additional rain from Hurricane Katrina and we had flood watches until a few hours ago. Nevertheless, the bulk of the news on my local newscast this morning is about hurricane Katrina, as it was Monday. (I didn’t watch yesterday morning.) I’ve screened most of it out, but I’ve been aware of footage of reporters standing as hurricane winds howl about them. I appreciate the calls for volunteers and the warning about hurricane relief scams, but please, I don’t need to see footage of the damage done. I couldn’t do anything 13 years ago; I can’t do anything now. I can, of course, pray, and to those affected by the hurricane, Dopers and others, if you want my prayers, you’ve got them.

Bolding added

Jesus fucking Christ, self-centered much? You know, it is possible to start a sentence with something other than “I”. There’s a whole world of other people out there, in case you didn’t notice. I’m sure we’re all very sorry that the news reports are distressing for you, but this time, try not to waste a hospital bed that would probably be better suited to help actual storm victims, 'kay?

[EllisDee]

@Kimstu

“You mean, if they can’t afford to leave the danger area then they just have to stay there? Don’t the bus companies arrange to move everybody out? Doesn’t the government provide emergency assistance for evacuating? Aren’t you, like, the richest country in the world or something? Do you really just leave poor people to drown because they can’t afford to go somewhere else?”

I thought there was something in place to evacuate people. Now, I’m as unhealthily focused on the Giants as Siege is on herself, so you’ll forgive this pathetic cite, but:

“I’m worrying about it, because I know the damage it can do,” said Webster, a cornerback who was the Giants’ top draft choice this year.

Webster’s parents, two sisters and two nephews drove to Houston, where another sister lives. They will stay there until conditions permit them to return home.

“They left on Saturday, because the traffic gets so bad,” Webster said. “The last time (they had to evacuate) it took them eight hours to drive to Houston (normally a 3½ hour drive). Once you get there, there’s not much you can do but wait it out.”

“I have a couple of friends that are going to stick it out and waiting for the storm to take its course,” Webster said. “Hopefully, they’re going to be all right. I don’t know what makes people want to stay in town. They have an evacuation program, and I think people should use it and get out of town. I don’t know what makes somebody brave enough to want to stay.”

I’m wondering what he means with that last bit. It sounds to me like there was a way for poor people to get out.

[Princhester]

@asterion

It could be worse. They could start doing the lead-ins for their coverage with “Hurricane” by Bob Dylan and “When the Levee Breaks” by Led Zeppelin.

Been done. “When the Levee Breaks” was the caption below a photo of NO in today’s “Australian” newspaper

[Rilchiam]

Yeah, Ellis, speaking of the Giants, and sports in general, one thing that Mr. Rilch is hung up on is Brett Favre and his family. Who he (Favre) is unable, even with all his money, to do much of anything for. Because everyone’s in the same boat, if you’ll pardon the expression, and a situation like this is a tremendous equalizer.

But at least Favre isn’t whining for special privileges on the basis of who he is in non-crisis situations.

[Uvula_Donor]

@Ellis Dee

There’s a whole world of other people out there, in case you didn’t notice.

:golf clap:

[Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd]

@Ellis Dee

Jesus fucking Christ, self-centered much? You know, it is possible to start a sentence with something other than “I”. There’s a whole world of other people out there, in case you didn’t notice. I’m sure we’re all very sorry that the news reports are distressing for you, but this time, try not to waste a hospital bed that would probably be better suited to help actual storm victims, 'kay?

Marvelous.

[Miller]

@Ellis Dee

Jesus fucking Christ, self-centered much? You know, it is possible to start a sentence with something other than “I”. There’s a whole world of other people out there, in case you didn’t notice. I’m sure we’re all very sorry that the news reports are distressing for you, but this time, try not to waste a hospital bed that would probably be better suited to help actual storm victims, 'kay?

Yeah, that’s Siege all over. Totally self-centered. Easily the most selfish person on this entire board, except maybe for that bastard Polycarp. Frankly, I’m pretty sick in general of the way people on this board can get away with using the first person singular so often, and it’s a good thing there are people like you around here to stand up to these tyrants.

Seriously: are you always this much of an asshole, or is it something you save up for special occasions?

[Loopydude]

I with the folks who say if you don’t like what you’re seeing, turn the fucking set off. Then go next door and yell at your neighbors. If it bleeds, it leads. Because people are into that, basically. If you want to change the news, the top-down approach is a pretty fucking stupid way to go about it. People will just tune into another station so they can get their nightly snuff clip. If they can’t get it there, they’ll pull it off the net. There’s a demand, and somebody somewhere will supply it, no matter how much high-minded folks bitch. Change the news? Howabout changing society, please.

[Siege]

Actually, some good may come out of this, if this week’s round-the-clock coverage will bring it home to people just how badly off people are and how badly help is needed. If just a few people contribute to hurricane relief efforts who wouldn’t normally do so, perhaps it will have been worth it.

CJ

[Scissorjack]

I think I owe an apology for my earlier flippant posts in this thread: I made them when I’d been out of touch with the news for a few days, and didn’t realise the extent of the tragedy. They were callous and stupid, and I can be an arse sometimes. Mea culpa.