# Why do they ALWAYS SEND THE FREAKING REPORTERS to do the hurricane stories? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 13, 2008, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-always-send-the-freaking-reporters-to-do-the-hurricane-stories/463372 "2008-09-13T00:36:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-always-send-the-freaking-reporters-to-do-the-hurricane-stories/463372/21 "2008-09-13T07:03:38Z")
Well, if they stay long enough we’ll find out if Ike is good on a mic. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-always-send-the-freaking-reporters-to-do-the-hurricane-stories/463372/22 "2008-09-13T19:42:46Z")
> [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](#): > > Even the most cynical of you must admit it fun to watch some poor news monkey hanging onto a lamp post in 75+ mph winds. Not when it’s Campbell Brown. She is not expendable. By Morgoth, if Campbell dies doing one of these stupid stunts, I will take my vengeance on all of you. They can send Glenn Beck to do that shit. Or, better, Larry King, since he’s obviously immortal. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-always-send-the-freaking-reporters-to-do-the-hurricane-stories/463372/23 "2008-09-15T05:52:32Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Geraldo getting blown out to sea would probably become one of the most most watched clips in the history of youtube. People would make it into avatar gifs. Warning: obscure joke ahead. I can just hear it now. “Wonnerful, wonnerful,” fading into the distance. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-always-send-the-freaking-reporters-to-do-the-hurricane-stories/463372/24 "2008-09-16T19:29:36Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Please don’t misunderstand- hurricanes are most certainly newsworthy, Ike far more than most, and in fact even in light of the election and the war, etc., Ike is in fact _the most_ important news story in the U.S. due to the millions of lives affected directly and many millions more affected indirectly by potential damage. I’ve no problem with the news channels devoting most of their screentime to it. What I pit, though, is why they ALWAYS feel compelled to send reporters to stand on the beaches WHEN A LETHAL HURRICANE IS ON THE WAY AND MANDATORY EVACUATION HAS BEEN CALLED! > > “How’s it looking out there Bob?” > > Bob: “Well… the waves are really high and the wind is really strong and I just saw it snap a light pole in half…” > > “That’s great that’s great… think it’s really a hurricane?” > > Bob: “Oh yeah, I’m pretty fuckin’ sure…” > > "Well keep up the great coverage. In other news, Sarah Palin’s contest to name her new pet squirrel met with protest from… > > Bob: “Tell my wife I love her…” > > “…will do… from PETA today when…” > > I swear that they actually _want_ to get one of these guys killed. They’re a potential human sacrifice to the ratings god. I agree. And now they’re pissed that no one got killed and they just can’t wait for the next big storm so they can do it all over again. And hope. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-always-send-the-freaking-reporters-to-do-the-hurricane-stories/463372/25 "2008-09-17T02:07:03Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Watch the Weather Channel. At least there the people standing on the beach are meteorologists. It may not be your cup of tea, but for me Stephanie Abrams in a wet tshirt during Katrina was awesome. A Google image search for _“Stephanie Abrams” wet_ didn’t prove to be as helpful as I had hoped. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-always-send-the-freaking-reporters-to-do-the-hurricane-stories/463372/26 "2008-09-17T02:11:41Z")
> [@Interrobang](#): > > You’ve never seen a local news reporter during the 11:00 news live on the now-dark, now-quiet scene of some minor incident that happened 8 hours ago, have you? Or the same reporter standing at Cascade Pass to report that yes, it’s snowing up there in the mountains, and by gum, it really might be a good idea to have some chains on your tires? Fair point. I insist that it’s VERY useless, though. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-always-send-the-freaking-reporters-to-do-the-hurricane-stories/463372/27 "2008-09-17T02:20:18Z")
I just started reading a book on evolutionary psychology (so I’m full of the zeal of the acolyte so to speak I guess). Anyway, one principle of EP is the “Savanna Principle,” which says that because human brains were formed on the African Savanna 20,000 years ago (and there hasn’t been enough time for us to evolve since then), we only really understand the things that can be understood by your average hunter-gatherer “back in the day.” So, maybe we wouldn’t really think that the news people knew anything about the hurricane unless we actually saw them standing there in it. There were no Doppler radar systems or satellite tracking in the Savanna, after all. So, if ABC has a guy getting rained on while CBS just has their fancy computers, we feel like ABC really went there and brought the story to us. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-always-send-the-freaking-reporters-to-do-the-hurricane-stories/463372/28 "2008-09-17T02:52:21Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Geraldo getting blown out to sea would probably become one of the most most watched clips in the history of youtube. People would make it into avatar gifs. He came close. Jon Stewart showed a bit last night (Monday) of Geraldo falling down into flood waters in Texas (I assume). He was soaked and pissed looking. I will admit I laughed. I can’t find it–my youtube-fu is poor tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-always-send-the-freaking-reporters-to-do-the-hurricane-stories/463372/29 "2008-09-17T02:58:29Z")
[If this link works, the Rivera video will be right here.](http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=184485&title=moment-of-zen-geraldo-rivera) Luckily, there’s a thread going right now about the same episode, and it’s even better because they ran the footage of Rivera falling after showing a clip of him complaining that Stewart and Colbert got rich by playing videos of old women slipping on ice. If not, it’s at [www.dailyshow.com](http://www.dailyshow.com), and look for the Moment of Zen with his name attached. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-always-send-the-freaking-reporters-to-do-the-hurricane-stories/463372/30 "2008-09-17T03:00:29Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Watch the Weather Channel. At least there the people standing on the beach are meteorologists… I was flipping back and forth between TWC and CNN on Saturday morning. The CNN guys had set up _behind_ the guy for TWC. The three CNN guys were fumbling around on camera, and you can tell they were a bit disoriented. Meanwhile, on The Weather Channel , the reporter sternly warned that being so close to the seawall was VERY DANGEROUS! Eh, I just think he was jealous. Me, I was hoping to see Anderson Cooper slip and fall into a slick of porta-potty goo. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2008, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-always-send-the-freaking-reporters-to-do-the-hurricane-stories/463372/31 "2008-09-17T03:41:44Z")
Anderson Cooper! **That’s** who that guy was, standing hip-deep in flood water while the other CNN reporters had moved on to the train accident in California on the other half of the screen. “Hey! Look at me! I’m standing in flood water!” Dumbass. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-always-send-the-freaking-reporters-to-do-the-hurricane-stories/463372.md?page=1)