Posted on 09/06/2005 1:00:10 PM PDT by hipaatwo
September 06, 2005
RALEIGH — There is a fetid stink in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and it’s not coming just from the fouled waters flooding New Orleans. It also wafts from the putrid reporting of the disaster by the mainstream media.
From the moment Katrina made landfall the media focused on anything that could redound to the detriment of President Bush or inflame race and class tensions. Reporters and commentators ignored the dismal performance of New Orleans’ Democratic mayor and Louisiana’s Democratic governor, blaming every problem that arose on the Bush administration.
Racial demagogues accused Bush and his administration of reacting slowly because most of the victims were black. Environmental activists said Bush’s refusal to sign the Kyoto Treaty caused Katrina’s severity. Democratic operatives said the administration’s decision to cut funding for a long-term study of flood control caused the levees to breach.
All of this is stuff and nonsense. The tragedy is that the media know it too, but they still printed it.
The media know that the first response to natural disasters is always from the local and state governments. They’ve covered enough hurricanes to understand that. They know, or should know, that the response from the federal government, especially the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is always in the second phase of recovery, not the first. They know, or should know, that a state’s National Guard is commanded by the governor, not the president. They know, or should know, that active-duty U.S. military personnel cannot act as law enforcement. But none of this was reported.
As for a president’s role, it has traditionally been in declaring disaster areas so that the victims can get grants and low-interest loans to rebuild, and ordering FEMA into the area. His role also traditionally includes a visit to the stricken area. That’s pretty much it, unless you’re George W. Bush; then that’s not enough. Not reported was that it was Bush himself who, before the storm hit, pleaded with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco to order a mandatory evacuation.
The misreporting of the tragedy, and the false impression it has left with some, is even being used now for other political advantage. On Sunday, NBC’s Matt Lauer interviewed “Meet the Press” anchor Tim Russert about Bush’s Supreme Court appointments. Russert said “there was a perception created of incompetence, some even said callousness and he needs to replace it with compassion” by appointing a moderate, a liberal or even a minority to the high court.
At least Russert was correct on one point. There was a “perception created.” The incessant drone of the media story line that Bush was to blame is what created that impression, and one that is entirely false. As with the run-up to the military operation in Afghanistan and Iraq, the media display a convenient amnesia about what they wrote in the past.
The story line today is that things were self-evidently so catastrophic as Katrina made landfall that everyone knew that drastic measures were called for. But was that the case? Here’s what The News & Observer of Raleigh’s public editor, Ted Vaden, wrote on Sunday:
“The N&O, like many other papers, was slow to wake up to the dimensions of the crisis but gradually ramped up the coverage in terms of space and reporters committed to the story,” he wrote. “The media were fooled the first day of the hurricane, when Katrina didn’t make a direct hit on New Orleans as expected. ‘I think that everybody got a head fake from this thing,’ said Dan Barkin, deputy managing editor. ‘I think we were kind of lulled.’”
Vaden pointed out that “the follow-up coverage on Wednesday likewise was restrained.” This candid assessment pretty much reflects the way most of the media covered the storm at the beginning. It was only after the incompetence of the mayor of New Orleans and the state’s governor in not forcing a pre-storm evacuation that the extent of the human tragedy unfolded. But instead of reporting this truth, it became a Bush bash fest.
And it continues. An Associated Press report from this morning was headlined: “Bush finally spending time on hurricane relief.” Finally. That’s the template word now. I saw that one coming Friday afternoon when I heard it used at least 10 times on National Public Radio to describe Bush’s actions regarding the hurricane.
Polls show that, unlike the media, the public does not blame Bush for the hurricane, the rioting, the looting, the stranded pets, the drowning deaths or the levee breaks. That means that the public doesn’t believe what the media are reporting. That’s the real gathering storm.
Jon Ham is vice president of the John Locke Foundation and publisher of its newspaper, Carolina Journal.
They STILL don't get it!
The MSM Main Stream Media in America is our Al Jerezza...I am so tired of listening to a reporters personal take on what the story is, report the facts only. It is unbelievible to think people will believe that one man by not signing the Kyoto Treaty caused this disaster. I didn't see Clinton getting blamed for any natural disasters?
But then again he was having sex with Monica frequently to bother with things like meeting with th his CIA director "once in 2 years" I am not ashamed of the MSM I loathe them...I can stand them and believe them to be mainly liars that report what they want to forge a head with the liberal agenda.
able
I think we should all live naked in plastic bubbles and bounce off of each other.
Hey folks, what you think if we start a prayer chain to cover our president in prayer 24hrs? We have done this before, I think it's time to do it again. I'll take the 5am time slot...any takers? You can pick whatever time slot is convenient for you, and pray for him for however long you wish. It could for 15mins or half an hour or perhaps even an hour long...HOW ABOUT IT?
And it will go on and on and on. We can only hope that the people are on to the leftstream media and their Bush hating ways.
It is shameful what is happening over this hurricane! I can hardly stand listening to the whining from those who were elected to protect their people at the local level.
They did not serve their people well. What plan has the democrats offered? How could they usurp the authority of a governor to do what they wanted? Would any governor have let the President call the shots during a time of crisis?
These loser stars and their big mouths! Yikes, I can hardly stand any of it! The dems just want to throw more money at any problem they don't have an answer to. Where there is a large amount of money you will find corruption not far behind, that won't help NO now. Even if Bush would have authorized millions of dollars to shore up levees that really don't make sense, they would not have been completed prior to Katrina. I am tired of them all.
Our MSM has aided and abetted our enemy, they act as if Kerry or Gopre were Pres nothing would have happen...Yea we would have been nuked by now because the arrogance of the liberals to think they can negoticate anything is a pure myth.
The MSM is the problem...to listen to people like Russert who is such a blow hard...he believer he knows all yet knows only what the liberals talking points are...nothing more. Just think how things would be if the truth were told completely.
I am not saying the Bush admin has done everything right "The borders are the worst"...they have not but the MSM is the Al Jerezza of America...they repulse me in a shameful way.
able
These local officials not only had 48 hours before the storm to get their house in order, they had almost 24-hours after the storm...and before the levees broke. But as noted, even the media was reporting another close-call for the Big-Easy.
The scenes of bars reopening and people celebrating in the streets certainly didn't relay an image that Andrew Sullivan called "immediate and obvious" distress. Especially when you consider that until the levees broke, Mississippi was the state that suffered the worst blow from Katrina.
Heck, even late Tuesday and into Wednesday, the biggest story was still the looting, as the states own Attorney General appeared on TV to dismiss the very criminality that would later impede rescue and recovery efforts. The media does have an extremely short...and selective memory of how they report events.
The night before Katrina hit - I sat and watched the Mayor of New Orleans being interviewed by the local news. He was sitting at the news desk and asked the weatherman, "what can we expect if the levees break"?
I swear to you - that's what he actaully asked the guy !!!
The man was completely clueless.
No one forget - it was President Bush who ordered the mayor to evacuate the city.
The media is so racially terrified - they can't see the truth
With Moms and families evac'd to here(Texas), the TV was muted and the internet scanners were on. REAL news by the ones doing what must be done....not those grandstanding or hand-wringing, whining, or blame-storming.
The crap I saw from La politicians reminded me of what I never miss about New Orleans after living there for 30+ years.
AND, of course, FR's own NautiNurse threads!!!!
And here I thought I was the only one who noticed.
It's a very clever propaganda trick. It works on many people.
The NYT, MSNBC, WaPO, etc. win.
In case of disaster in your area do absolutely nothing to save lives, protect property or relieve suffering. Your new assignment is to blame Bush, blame Bush and blame Bush. Got that? Good, together we will build a better America.
This is what it has been all along. Use a disaster involving a group of poor minorities to solidify their allegiance to the RAT party. The old media is so transparent in their stupid and pathetic attempts to divide the country.
I realize it wasn't hurricane related, but has anyone heard a single mention made of the Mississippi River flood of (IIRC) 1993 that affected thousands from Minnesota to Missouri?
Seems like there'd be some correlation between the reclaimation and restoration of that vast area and what's happening on the Gulf Coast.
Does no one in the media remember that, or are they having too much fun spreading hate and cliches?
Oh oh wait ..
It's impossible for the President to be familiar with every major city's emergency plans. It is unavoidably the responsibility of local officials to implement the emergency plan. The President cannot do it for them. And if they don't, then this happens.
Let this be a lesson to voters. It really does matter whether you elect competent local and state officials. Ultimately, the responsibility falls on the voters of Louisiana.
Just because the media has a history of reprehensible behavior do not give them a pass. Otherwise it becomes expected and no longer an issue.
The press has special privileges and therefor must be held to the highest standard. We should be loud and clear in our condemnation of the press.
Somebody once said "government like fire can be a wonderful servant or a fearful master". I believe the same is true of the media.
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