Posted on 09/08/2005 12:28:31 AM PDT by Crackingham
A major news event follows a very routine pattern. First, we get the hard news phase, where reporters relate the unfolding dramatic facts. In the second phase, those same reporters become analysts, commentators passing moral and political judgment on the story. By its nature, the first phase tends to be devoid of bias. But the second phase often comes loaded with politicized gotchas and predictable liberal editorializing.
Hurricane Katrina and its flooding aftermath in New Orleans is a good example. No one can fault reporters' emotional statements as they eyewitness the tragedy. Nor is it inappropriate for them to ask the tough questions about the government's -- local, state and federal -- wholly inadequate preparation and response. But viewers should be tiring of the Monday morning grandstanding, particularly the rush to judgment when so many facts are still as murky as the standing water in New Orleans.
But a truly deplorable aftermath of Katrina is the far left's attempts to stir up racial divisions and the news media's fanning of those flames. Both should be roundly condemned.
Friday's Washington Post had a front-page headline quoting a woman saying, "To Me, It Just Seems Like Black People Are Marked," as if even weather systems are members of the Klan. (Do tornadoes in Kansas have a "racial dimension," a racial animus? Would the Washington Post ever dream up a headline for that?) Apparently, America is so stacked with racism in the air that it's in the gale-force winds.
Stirring up racial anger was a common theme by week's end. On NBC, anchor Brian Williams lectured that the hurricane would "necessitate a national discussion on race, on oil, politics, class, infrastructure, the environment, and more." On ABC, Ted Koppel began by orating that New Orleans is 67 percent black, and "The slow response to the victims of Hurricane Katrina has led to questions about race, poverty, and a seemingly indifferent government." On CNN, Wolf Blitzer, who raised eyebrows by calling the hurricane victims "so poor and so black," prodded Rep. Elijah Cummings not once, but twice, to find racism in the slow response.
But perhaps the strongest news pitchman for the Vast Racist Conspiracy -- you know the one, like the skit on "Saturday Night Live" where Eddie Murphy paints himself white and they hand him free money at the bank -- was CNN anchor Aaron Brown. Brown baited Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones: "Do you think black America's sitting there thinking, if these were middle-class white people, there would be cruise ships in New Orleans, not the Superdome?"
Jones tried to put race aside, focusing her outrage on charging "the government has not allocated the resources." But Brown went back to his Love Boat for Whites theme: "Now, look, here's the question, OK? And then we'll end this. Do you think the reason that they're not there or the food is not there or the cruise ships aren't there or all this stuff that you believe should be there, isn't this a matter of race and/or class?"
When you have a 24 hour news channel to run, you have to find 24 hours worth of news to play on it. Dead air don't play. And if all you have is drivel from a talking head, you play it.
And has continued to this day!
If they THINK for one minute they are helping the racial issue they are damned wrong. I have about had it with the damned fools in the media & politicians calling anyone who doesn't agree with them "racists" or implying it. Why should I try to help anyone while being called a "racists"?!!!
When I hear of them taking evacuees into THEIR HOMES then I'll listen. Otherwise, it's more of the same hypocritical crap they always spew. We (the ivory tower media) think you (peon) should do "this" while we (ivory tower media) do nothing except complain about you (peon).
I have never been more sick of anyone in my life than OLD MEDIA! They don't know a damned thing about me or my family yet they "guess" that I am a racists because I don't think like them (THANK GOD!).
ATTENTION MEDIA WHORES: GO TO HELL!!!
I remember when news was about news. I remember when you could trust that you could turn on a TV in a crisis and get information telling you where to go, what you should do, your options, etc. Before Katrina hit, what did we see on TV? We saw Joe Schmoe news reporter standing out in the wind with an anemometer. Hours full of newsguys blowing in the wind. During all that wasted time they could have been pleading with people to get out, giving directions to the nearest shelter, researching the evacuation plan, and asking the questions that they now ask in hindsight. The pre-hurricane news was an entertaining joke. And now they want to blame everyone except themselves. I hope that the media has learned from their mistakes, and do a better job to get evacuation info out before the hurricane hits next time. It could save lives.
"I remember when news was about news. I remember when you could trust that you could turn on a TV in a crisis and get information telling you where to go, what you should do, your options, etc"
AMEN!!!
This could - should - have been the Media's finest hour, and, with very few exceptions, they just couldn't rise above venality, sensationalism, and irrelevance.
Sad, really.
Dems are trying to use this whole thing to make repubs look like they are indifferent to the plight of poor blacks.
The repubs have been making inroads into black voting percentages. The dems hope to use this ploy to blunt those inroads.
Poor, uneducated blacks may be an easy group to sway.
The repubs should keep hammering the mayor and governor for their response which was woefully inept.
I noticed that the actual victims of this supposed racism aren't the ones screaming loudest. They were actually there and saw the racial mix of the National Guard and other relief workers. Hopefully many children will remember the heroes of this and decide to become involved in service to their fellow man.
Aaron Brown on cnn? What is that? Who watches that channel? It's just a shade more popular than old joe on msnbs.
And, if they ever do get the message, as you have stated it, they will then spend hours, days,weeks and months discussing the media's role in this tragedy. They will feign faux introspection as they ponder how brave they were, how the various reporters did yoeman's work , wading through ankle deep water, braving hurricane force winds, being forced to observe human suffering, to bring you the NEWS. Then, they will ask, "Could we have done better"?
Again, these people still think that THEY are the news. You tuned in to see THEM. You want to know what THEY think, because, after all, you can't think for yourself...
Dems, ever the losers, don't realize that their hysterical race-baiting is turning off many white voters. They already have the black vote, and the results will more white voters who will be Republicans by the time this disaster subsides. I say, let them keep it up.
The racists in this country are Democrats and Liberals. They knowingly use - and only use - blacks for their own purposes.
They promise the moon and delivery only economic and cultural slavery. Over and over and over again. When will black Americans learn?
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