Posted on 12/27/2004 6:56:03 PM PST by wagglebee
Besides grateful relatives, tourists returning from Asian countries struck by the killer tsunami are likely to be met by news agency representatives hunting for video of the cataclysmic event.
"There will still be, I think, the definitive shot, the wall of water," Sandy MacIntyre, director of news for Associated Press Television News in London, said Monday.
American TV networks have been rushing reporters and camera crews to countries affected by the disaster. As they cover the aftermath, there's also an intense effort to find video of the event as it happened, to convey the awesome power of the natural phenomenon.
APTN is competing fiercely with another news agency, Reuters, to acquire video. APTN producers were sent to six airports in Europe and Asia on Monday to ask tourists if they had captured the scene on their home video cameras, MacIntyre said.
CNN, Fox News Channel and MSNBC covered the story heavily Monday, often running the same video clips over and over.
The most arresting shot was taken from the roof of a building at Pa Tong beach in Thailand, showing a giant wave crashing into the shore and spilling into buildings and onto streets. It was taken by an Australian tourist and acquired by an Australian television station as soon as he arrived in Sydney, said Anna Murray, an APTN news editor.
Another frequently seen clip showed a pool overrun by a wave, with terrified sunbathers trying to run away. It was shot by a tourist in Sri Lanka, Murray said. Another shot shows a different pool being overtaken by ocean water pouring in from over a hill.
News agencies must depend on amateurs for this video. Many may still be traumatized by the event and may not realize what they caught on camera, MacIntyre said.
"Obviously there weren't news crews staking out the beaches," said Chuck Lustig, ABC News director of foreign news.
Like the steadily climbing death toll, the story should continue to unfold over the next several days.
"There are still places where journalists haven't been yet - or even relief agencies and government workers," Lustig said.
The link in #8 worked for me.
Well, that is what they were saying on Fox News this morning when the question and the issue, of the 'warning systems' came up; and why at least did not someone communicate with these areas that this was happening. The response was that 'we' did in fact try to warn them as soon as this event began. . . sounds like something was lost in the translation, however. . .but they were not specific.
Also pointed out that three months ago; post earthquake in Sumatra; the 'Indian basin' countries were warned that this quake would most likely spawn tsunamis; and that warning systems should be installed as in other parts of the world.
Too late smart for this horrific event, however.
In the meantime, however, given the communcation tools that most people have at their disposal. . .'cell phones'; blackberry's ; computers; seems that even any warning given by way of radio or tv; might have been spontaneously communicated through friends/family. . .
A warning on CNN would have helped. . .it is usually available and 'on' in most parts of the tourist world; if even the hotel room and bar. . .
Lacking a 'warning system' is unfortunate to say the least; but perhaps ala 'amber alert' . . .a tsunami alert carried via internatioal media, might have made a difference.
Just a thought and maybe. . .not.
Other places had plenty of time to get people to high ground, or into higher structures, hours in some cases. Of course, maybe they wouldn't have known where the water would stop. Observers looking down from higher floors might have wondered, is it just going to keep rising, from floor to floor, until Noah's own ark is seen in the distance?
It's easy to second-guess. At any rate, they could have cut into tv broadcasts, and radio, and sent police into the streets with bullhorns, telling people to get to higher ground. I don't know if that was done - anywhere.
The photographer Weegee (Arthur Felig) used to toy with photo manipulation in the darkroom (especially using mirrors or even kalidescopes).
He would create cats with 4 eyes, women with 3 breasts, or cars with two hood ornaments.
Key to this discussion, he would also create some pictures like a "flooded" Times Square (mirror the top portion of the image).
(sorry about the private reply, I clicked the wrong button).
But he couldn't have done it without Halliburton.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.