Fox, CNN, MSNBC, BBC, etc all blew it!!!

[Devastatin Dave]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...home-headlines

Well the media clowns completely blew the coverage of the hurricanes. Yes, bad things did happen, but the death, chaos, rapes, etc were nothing close to what the media said it was. In fact I was watching Fox a few days after Katrina hit and he was holding a small black baby, Geraldo was all crying and screaming that babies were starving to death and other BS. Well it turns out it was mostly all BS. So what do you guys think, is it possible to get actual NEWS anywhere, or is it all sensationalized editorial crap?

[Don Corleone]

Dave, what is the job of the media?

It is to sell advertising time.

How do they do this?

They sensationalize news to the point you cannot turn away. This boosts their ratings and allows them to charge a premium for their advertising time.

If you want honesty in media coverage, look for media outlets that market themselves specificially for their accuracy (think McNeil/Lehrer News Hour, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, etc). This is not to say these sources are 'unbiased'. All three are certainly quite biased. But there's really two independent varaiables at play here... how editorially slanted is the outlet, and how accurate is their news.

Example: I seriously doubt that the Masskeega, Idaho (pop. 250) Ladies Sewing Guild's newsletter has a pro-Democrat or pro-Republican slant to it. But how accurate would you expect the coverage of the Niger famine to be?

Bias and accuracy are not the same thing at all.

[drone]

I was going to unleash a rant on corporate news and the wonderful job the FCC has done consolidating the media into the hands of a few powerful companies, but what would be the point? Freedom of the press (and the corresponding responsibility) does not mix well when it is tied to a corporation's bottom line.

[solypsist]

the bulk of these "rumors" came from blogs, both in and outside of New Orleans. i saw a lot of them with stuff like, "just heard there was a sniper outside of the hospital," and then of course there was no substantiating evidence or even mention of the vaguest source of where the blogger "heard" this info from. so of course the cable news outlets, already notorious for not having any accountability to facts, were spending a lot of time feeding off of even less accountable sources.

[Red Harvest]

The media focused on the "criminal" aspect far too much. They are always out to sell the sensational. There was a huge crisis, but it had to do with lack of medical care, water, food, and evacuation. (That was reported by the way.)

The ironic part is that the more conservative types were playing up the lawlessness as a way of condemning the poor inner city types and local officials etc. I guess we can put much of that BS to rest now--those "welfare state" comments.

Amusing side note:
While Rita was blowing its hardest in Houston, there were some clowns about two streets over setting off aerial fireworks throughout. It was rather surreal and it made it more difficult to hear exploding transformers (they make a distinctive sound.)

[Proletariat]

The ironic part is that the more conservative types were playing up the lawlessness as a way of condemning the poor inner city types and local officials etc. I guess we can put much of that BS to rest now--those "welfare state" comments.

Right, very different to the more liberal types who were playing up the chaos as a way of condemning the Fed and their blatant racism.

[Don Corleone]

Remember the accounts of the (financially) poor African Americans roaming the city, forced to subsist on a diet of deceased human flesh? Remember the piles of corpses at the superdome & convention center? Turns out 6 people total expired there, 4 of natural causes, one who was shot and one committed suicide by jumping off the upper deck of the seating. All 6 corpses were found intact (not a bite mark to be found among them). Things that make you go hmmm.....

And Red, God love you man... I don't know who's more consistent, you or Navaros. You spent weeks talking about how all these stories were evidence of how Bush hates poor people, and now, you turn around and claim they're all evidence of Conservatives fascination with the criminal element.... only you amigo. P.S. Very, very glad to hear you weathered the storm well.

[Duke Malcolm]

Dave, what is the job of the media?

It is to sell advertising time.

Not for the BBC. It merely has to justify its existence and right to the Licence Fee...

As far as I know, the BBC did not do things like that. It is alleged to have taken an anti-american slant on reporting, but I don't know and haven't seen it.

[Don Corleone]

Aah, but doesn't the beeb now compete with SkyNews, which DOES run it's profit margin by sensationalism? To keep viewership, don't they need to engage in much the same tactics?

[Red Harvest]

Right, very different to the more liberal types who were playing up the chaos as a way of condemning the Fed and their blatant racism.

I was speaking more of the interpretation side by folks, rather than the reporting side.

I think most of the "more liberal types" realized that this was not so much about racism but moreso about poverty, and most importantly about a lack of recognition by the Feds that prompt response was needed. The poor and working poor are not a GOP constituency--at least not with any weight in the party thinking. It is not at all an exaggeration to say the GOP doesn't care about poor people.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

The media focused on the "criminal" aspect far too much. They are always out to sell the sensational. There was a huge crisis, but it had to do with lack of medical care, water, food, and evacuation. (That was reported by the way.)

The ironic part is that the more conservative types were playing up the lawlessness as a way of condemning the poor inner city types and local officials etc. I guess we can put much of that BS to rest now--those "welfare state" comments.

Actually from what I hear they understated that part. My brother works for cablvision and a reporter from nbc told him its what their not reporting thats amazing. For instance when the planes landed in Huston and the passengers found out they were going to be searched nothing was reported about all the contraband they found on board from dirty syringes to all kinds of drugs and stolen property. They didnt want to make these people look bad.

[Proletariat]

I think most of the "more liberal types" realized that this was not so much about racism but moreso about poverty, and most importantly about a lack of recognition by the Feds that prompt response was needed.

Oh, I guess this guy claimed, "George Bush doesn't care about poor people."

It wasn’t a matter of hype or unfair criticism, but the kind of awful reality of life in America for Black people. It’s difficult to imagine that the response to the devastation, homelessness, death and despair in New Orleans would have been matched had the tragedy occurred in white cities in Wisconsin, Florida or Ohio, to cite a few examples. Indeed, a few weeks before when a much smaller and less powerful hurricane threatened Florida, President George Bush was on the scene with his brother Governor Jeb Bush discussing what needed to be done.

http://www.caribworldradio.com/cms/p...rticle_914.php

People know that you couldn’t prevent the storm. But why didn’t the government help people get out? Why did they let the levees and flood protection systems go bad? Why were people forced to fend for themselves, without food, water, medicine, or shelter? Why were people jammed into that slave-ship stadium and why were many, especially Black people, forcibly prevented – by cops with guns, as well as vigilantes – from leaving New Orleans?

http://rwor.org/a/016/stand-with-new-orleans.htm

Such scenes have played out for years. But one positive point about Katrina is that Americans are now more aware of the poverty in their communities. And the racism. President George Bush admitted as much, saying poverty "has roots in a history of racial discrimination which cut off generations from the opportunity of America".

The Reverend Eugene F. Rivers III, president of a coalition of mainly black churches, said: "Katrina has posed a challenge to the White House and the country regarding the great divide, which is race and class in America."

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0924-25.htm

Do you really think they're talking about one thing and not the other? Do you really think they're trying to point out the social-ills of capitolism based on money? Or are they trying to make out Republicans as a bunch of Klansmen rubes on the brink of reviving slavery?

[Proletariat]

Is that really what you got from that post? That I was talking about the Republican party from 140 years ago?

[Red Harvest]

Nevermind that Mr. Lincoln was a republican.

And he would have wanted nothing to do with the present GOP. You might want to review the "Southern Strategy" and also the shift that occurred when Teddy Roosevelt split with the GOP. You will find that the parties have largely swapped ends since old Abe was around.

[Red Harvest]

Proletariat,

I don't see your point either. We all know there were statements about racism out there. Many blacks indeed believe this was about racism. Many others of the general population (in far greater numbers) think it has more to do with poverty and sheer incompetence by FEMA *leadership* and the commander in chief. The governor wasn't helping either. The whole "states rights" BS really hurts our nation in situations like that. Of course, it doesn't help when you have a very partisan president who will take any opportunity to screw the opposition party.

With regards to racism allegations, frankly, the GOP had it coming. They do not care about color issues and they don't care about the black vote. They wrote 'em off. The president has blown off the NAACP repeatedly. There is a considerable amount of hushed racism in GOP leadership--poster boy Trent Lott comes to mind. Heck, the whole "Southern Strategy" was about playing off the former white Democrats and stealing their constituencey as a result of desegregation.

While I found the rapper's comments juvenile and inappropriate, there is some truth to them. Do you honestly think Dubya gives a rat's ass about black people? Do I think that is the reason for the poor response? No. Incompetence and lack of understanding about the plight of the poor account for much of that, and the poor response was not just limited to blacks.

[Don Corleone]

Well, Red, if Dubya doesn't give a rat's ass about black people, why did he go speak to the Urban League convention last summer? I can't begin to pretend to know what's in his heart, but thus far, you're coming up lacking on evidence of the so-called hypocricy & racism charges you're dumping in the laps of Republicans. Maybe if you could highlight how exactly the Republican party has it in for Black America, I might be able to come on board with you...

[Proletariat]

Proletariat,

I don't see your point either.

I'll try to be more succinct this time, sorry.

Many blacks indeed believe...

Many others of the general population (in far greater numbers)...

With regards to racism allegations, frankly, the GOP had it coming.

There is a considerable amount of hushed racism in GOP leadership...

Do you honestly think Dubya gives a rat's ass about black people?

How does any of this support your foremost assertion:

I think most of the "more liberal types" realized that this was not so much about racism but moreso about poverty, and most importantly about a lack of recognition by the Feds that prompt response was needed.

You're doing the same thing the majority of the left did, blend the words poor and black so well that either message (racism or classism) is interchangeable.

My point is, that I don't see how you can stand by the following quote, while ignoring the inverse spin from the other side on the very same issue. My point isn't that George Bush loves black people or that the response was even competent from any level.

The ironic part is that the more conservative types were playing up the lawlessness as a way of condemning the poor inner city types and local officials etc. I guess we can put much of that BS to rest now--those "welfare state" comments.

[Red Harvest]

You're doing the same thing the majority of the left did, blend the words poor and black so well that either message (racism or classism) is interchangeable.

I don't see how they are interchangeable, probably because I grew up poor and white. I still oppose busing, and many aspects of affirmative action. No, I don't see them as interchangeable.

Had the dome been full of football fans who were trapped, I'll bet you top dollar that the president would have been pulling out all the stops to get something done without waiting for Nagin to go into a tirade. The mainstream GOP doesn't understand poverty, and this hurt response efforts by political appointees and Dubya himself. They can't seem to put themselves in the other guys shoes when this sort of thing happens.

[t1master]

somebody, alot of people around here really hate, said this exact same thing as the la times article, whilst it was happening. it's also been one of his 'talking points' for a long time...

[Xiahou]

Had the dome been full of football fans who were trapped, I'll bet you top dollar that the president would have been pulling out all the stops to get something done without waiting for Nagin to go into a tirade.

I'd be willing to bet that most of the people there were football fans.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Jeez, the list of malfed efforts with these storms is pretty long, and certainly not party specific.

Katrina:

Neither the mayor of NO, nor the governor of LA reacted quiklcy enough or decisively enough after declaring an emergency and calling for evacuations. NO really never put its carefully crafted plan into practice.

The Feds, including George Bush, failed to bring int relief assets quickly enough, and could have been far more directly involved in securing the governors permission earlier. The relief effort itself was also swaddled in more red tape than necessary.

Both parties, for 3+ DECADES, bear responsibility for not funding levee improvement projects sufficiently, and diverting some of the funds that had been earmarked for improvements into other projects. Politics as usual, from Washington on down, did not meet appropriate standards of emergency preparedness.

The Media sensationalized the whole thing. Since they are now on constantly, they'll broadcast any half-substantiated rumor that's tawdry or shocking enough. They have to get the audience's attention before another network snags it, and then feed in enough new stuff -- can you say rush to print -- to keep them glued to the tube.


Rita:

Evacuation orders and federal support were all much faster this time. Response has been quicker and casualties lower (though the ebbing of the storm's power helped here). A much improved effort, but the response to Katrina hardly set a high benchmark.

Moreover, as Red H's own experience attests, the USA is woefully unprepared to effectively evacuate a major urban area. Gas supplies not sufficient, failure to accurately model the number and timing of vehicles, insufficient staff/resolve in opening all transit lanes to evacuees. Also, its pretty obvious that evacuating oxygen dependant folks in non-medical transport can be improved. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the HSA's ability to respond to any man-made crisis either.

Media didn't do much better here and the public is a bit bored with flooded bayous, so they are having to work other angles to sell advertising time and keep ratings up.


All in all, SNAFU -- possibly TARFU -- but no FUBAR, we've seen all of this stuff before in other forms.

Seamus