Echo Chamber in the Superdome

Reason ^ | 10/4/2005 | Matt Welch

[moneyrunner]

There are hyperlinks to various sources HERE

[KateatRFM]

I wonder how long it will take for people to realize that if everything they heard coming out of New Orleans was a lie, then probably what they're hearing from Iraq is not exactly true either?

[SouthTexas]

so the residents didn't lose it, only their leaders did. Sounds plausible.

[oblomov]

So the reports of cannibalism were false too?

[FairWitness]

Bttt

[jwpjr]

Of course they will never admit it, much less apologize for it, but the MSM's rush to report bad news, verified or not, meant the responders had to really fractionate their efforts. Much of the resources available to first-responders had to be re-directed to 'protecting' the those responding. The false reports resulted in authorities deciding to put rescue efforts on hold pending the arrival of the military. All in all the people of NO were badly served by the MSM in their compulsion to make the administration look as bad as possible.

The worst thing about it is that I fear the MSM has yet to learn its lesson and the next event will be handled in the same sloppy fashion.

[RhoTheta]

Thanks for this informative article.

[bmwcyle]

What was never reported was the numbers who stayed behind waiting for their government checks because it was the end of the month.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Major Ed Bush, public affairs officer for the Louisiana National Guard

Reason: So you guys had presence the entire time? Through the storm there was always at least some Louisiana National Guard in the building?

Bush: Always. There was hundreds of Louisiana Guard guys there, yeah.

Reason: And how was your physical communication at the time? I mean you guys had functional walkie-talkies at least, right?

Bush: Right. Our guys, we all had radios, internal Dome radios. For example if I saw someone come to me and he said, "Somebody's having a seizure," I could get on and call for medics and say, "I'm on the terrace of Gate C, I need medics, I'm here now," and then a couple of security guys would show up, and the medical team would show up, and security guys would clear the crowd, and most of the time some other folks would jump in and help us, and we'd either carry the person, or put him on a cart, or do something and move out.

. . . But it would be so frustrating, where you might spend hours to get people to believe what the plan was, and that, "Sure, this is unlivable, and we don't have flush toilets, it's a horrible, nasty place that we're all in, and it stinks, and it's hot. And you know what? We know that, too, because we're here with you. But no, there's not people being killed, we wouldn't let that happen. And we're gonna make it, everybody's gonna make it." And then one radio report might nullify all of that.

OK . . . and broadcast journalism helped the situation exactly how?

Why Broadcast Journalism is
Unnecessary and Illegitimate

[Drew68]

bump for later

[E.G.C.]

Media bias bump.

[rdb3]

So the reports of cannibalism were false too?

I'd answer your question, but I don't know if you are serious. Are you?

If you want a Google GMail account, FReepmail me.
They're going fast!

[TYVets]

What was never reported was the numbers who stayed behind waiting for their government checks because it was the end of the month.

Excellent point the media has ignored.

The lean times are just before payday, be it a check from a job or a "government" check.

[bmwcyle]

Government dependency kills.

[elli1]

Would be interesting for someone to document, naming names & news organizations, the biggest liars/ rumor mongers/ reporters of the Katrina NOLA coverage.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Interesting article, and thanks for the post.

The key question becomes what did the most damage in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina - the slow government response in New Orleans or the news media?

There have been congressional hearings about FEMA, the Louisana State government, and others. Will congress be as interested in finding out how the news media contributed to the chaos? Will anyone in the media be held accountable? I think everyone knows the answers ...

[shezza]

What about BeerLooterGuy? He scares me, especially that hair thing. And Shep sobbing on the overpass. He scares me, too.

Seriously, though, this was a prime example of rumors running rampant amongst the tens of thousands who then spread what they heard to the news media, and the news media spreading it to everybody else. Throw fact-checking out the window -- we just heard something from Inside The Dome that we must share with our Viewers! And the rest is history. (Until the fact-checking begins, that is.)

[SuziQ]

Well, then you can certainly connect some dots and say that perhaps FEMA would have been quicker in if we hadn't heard all these urban myths about shootings and rapes and deaths and killing and bodies everywhere.

Hmmm. You reckon the MSM will take any responsibility for that? I, for one, am not holding my breath!

[freedomson]

I spent the blackout of '03 in Detroit. And it was amazing how well behaved everyone was and strangely, even more polite to one another than usual.

I started to believe that at our core we are still Americans and when the chips are down we pull together like Americans always have in times of crisis.

I'm overjoyed that these stories were false and I hope we find the commie bastards that started them.