Posted on 12/28/2004 8:05:55 AM PST by dead
IF you were watching TV news over the past few days, it would be hard to know which story carried more weight: The incomprehensible devastation caused by the tsunami which took (at press time) nearly 30,000 lives, or the equally tragic story of airport delays and lost baggage...< SNIP >
In fact, TV news in general treated the disaster like one of those weather stories where the rookie reporter gets battered at the seawall in Canarsie. And every reporter seemed like a rookie this past holiday weekend. Apparently the tsunami would have had to hit Aspen to get the pros off the slopes and onto the story.
When did the Walter Cronkites get replaced by Jessica Simpson clones? All grease and no machinery. And it didn't improve one bit by Monday morning... < SNIP >
Think about the difference in the solemnity with which 9/11 was reported and how this disaster was reported. Can you imagine switching from Ground Zero coverage in the first few days to say, back-to-school shopping sprees? < SNIP >
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Last night, Fox and CNN led with the Tsunami story. MSNBC still thinks the Ohio recount is more important.
The Tangshan earthquake in 1976 (China) killed somewhere between 250-650 THOUSAND people. The exact deathtoll is unknown cuz, well, they're commie China..
The ability to have media coverage is a big factor. Also unlike previous disasters Americans are vacationing in those parts, and it makes for a better story with on the spot videos of the disaster taking place, and interviews with English speaking survivors. Why we even had a swimsuit model get caught up in the disaster. - Tom
This just in from the NY Post...laughing at the irony.
IMO, FoxNews is the best of MSM TV in fair and balanced reporting of scandals. Small concilation for those seeking information on Beslen, Bam, Indonesia tsunami, and all.
FoxNews, despite what Roger Ailes says, is not news for the heartland; it's schmooze for the heartland. All this network does is talk and argue.
With a notable exception of the venerable Lt Col., Oliver North and Neil Cavuto, Fox has the same innane analysis as Inside Edition. They really stink when it comes to anything of substance beyond Laci, Jacko, and Hacking.
No doubt in my mind that the NY Post article will hit the Fox Senior Editor's desk as a stunning, new development.
"How should we address this boss?"
"More T&A reporting on the Victoria Secret fashion show."
"Great idea, boss!"
"Better make it on the 8's."
"Right."
American TV news is pabulum. One of our local stations devotes three to five minutes per half hour to actual news and the rest (sans commercials, about 18 minutes) to sports, traffic, and weather.
I'm frankly impressed that the tsunami was covered at all in this country.
I despise the media as much as the next person, but this comment is frankly idiotic. Of course any disaster gets covered.
The Beslan massacre got far less coverage in America than the Columbine shootings did either.
Spot On! The MSN coverage may, in time, possibly catch up with the enormity of this catclysmic event. Meantime, prepare to watch empty-headed news readers with no clue sort through the flotsam and jetsam of this story. Their own leaders baffled by where and how to fit this story into Scot Petersons and other quasi-sensational ongoing "stories" they cover to fill their 24-hour chore of filling the airwaves. Prepare yourself for the heart breakingly inappropriate responses to all this. Witness the UN wienie accusing the US of being "stingy" in response to this disaster as well as similar myopic and totally inconsequential coverage. Wait also for the crowning moments in the humane recognition of this incredibly tragic experience in world history. In the meantime, batten the hatches for pure idiocy.
Touching back on your thread to note for those lauding Fox News...right now the State Department has been holding a briefing on this disaster. MSNBC and CNN have been covering it. Fox is covering the Supermodel who was caught up in it (I'm pleased she survived, but still).
Agreed. When the disaster first began to unfold, I pulled the BBC World live stream, and got a look at the enormity of the situation, while the US news networks were more concerned with lost baggage and the worst singer/actor of all time.
I'm disgusted with DirecTV, because they refuse to give viewers any true international news (the co-owned Sky News would work just fine, thank you), while paying lip service about "new channels" and not providing any.
Where have you seen clips of the wave? A couple of vidcaps is all I've seen. I'm sure there must be a dozen or so priceless vidos out there somewhere.
But when information first came out on this on SUNDAY, FNC was nowhere to be found (neither were CNN, MSNBC, or the so-called NewsWorld International for that matter).
Sky News went wall-to-wall, but we aren't allowed to see that in the States, because Roger Ailes is afraid of canabalizing his audience.
BBC World went wall-to-wall with the story on Sunday, and the only way we could watch in the US was either with a grey-market Canadian satellite system or online.
The US networks (including Fox) were a good 24 hours behind this story because of their arrogance in feeling that Scott Peterson and Michael Jackson are more important than a disaster of this magnitude.
And I won't even begin to talk about the "alphabet" networks...
The best video is the amateur video that was sold to Australia's Seven News, which showed the wave coming into Phuket, Thailand. Seven has a sourcing agreement with NBC, so I'd suggest checking MSNBC, an NBC affiliate or MSNBC.com for the video itself.
Tsunami video from Phuket (NOTICE: Conflicting reports of virus/no virus. DL at own risk.)
The suspicion in his title about the virus appears to not be worrisome. We are all up do date and there was no virus. Major complaint from the site is that it is ~really slow~ downloading.
If you can't get them there, I am sure others will be hosting and posting them soon, might even be other links down that thread aways.
I have been disappointed with the (limited) coverage by the United States media outlets also. They are not meeting the demands of the worldwide audience in providing decent information and coverage.
If CBS can fly Jeff Probst around in a helicopter to film "Survivor" segments, surely to God they can do the same for some reporters.
The T'ang-shan earthquake of July 1976 killed over a half-million Chinese. Probably the worst disaster of modern time. And the PRC gov't refused all outside help.
Peterson certainly *was* over-reported. And then some. Oh, what happened to the Memo-gate/Rathergate report? Anyone know?
I can't say I'm too horrified by the tsunami thing and the coverage level. It happened. It was a shock. Disasters happen all the time. It wasn't nearly as bad as it might've been say as if a 9.0 quake hit Mexico City, L.A. or other high population area.
There's no continuing "breaking news" except UN and others saying how bad America is for only giving $15 million, now $35 million, for relief and, of course, we didn't gift to them and install early warning for them and so forth...
Clean up will happen, aide is flowing from gov'ts, Salvation Army and others are there, no human hand was behind this but human hubris (willful lack of warning system) was a factor... you live or vacation on the water you have to expect this *can* / *might* happen. Their systems of gov't failed them in the most horrible way.
It's not like a meteor fell out of the sky or some insane posse rammed airliners into these folks. It's sad, even TRAGIC (proper use of the most overused term in media today) but life goes on and so should Media coverage.
Why do you say we need to care so much about a mere 50,000 when there're 2000 times than many murdered "legally" in the womb each year?
Fact is, it's human nature and a wise survival instinct to personalize in the manner you're attacking. It grows from the instict to protect and care about family, friends, neighbors, community occupants, and so forth. I'm sick of folks caring more about "over there" than right here at home... folks who adopt Chinese kids while America children are used and abused by our broken system, folks who will donate to foreign disaster relief but not their local shelter. Folks who won't help a friend in trouble but will do a feel good project with Jimmy Carter.
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