Margie
Senior Storm Chaser
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Posts: 1191
Loc: Twin Cities
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An open letter to CNN.
Dear CNN,
You have got to stop making that poor anemic yuppie Anderson Cooper stand outside in hurricanes for hours on end, as a condition of working for you.
We all get it. When a hurricane comes to town, it's windy and rainy out there, for a really, really, really long time. If you simply pan the camera out the window, we'll believe you. Besides, all the hours of watching these poor wet individuals screaming into microphones while barely being able to hear each other, not only looks rediculous, it gets boring. Yes, just in the same way that watching men walk on the moon got boring after the first hour, incredible as it was, prompting your Aunt Ethel to bring in a TV tray of formerly-frozen grocery store hor d'ouevres, while your Uncle Frank talked about those GD hippies.
As long as you keep putting people where they won't get blown off their feet or washed away, you're giving the public an inaccurate idea of just how horrific conditions in the heart of a hurricane really are. People will wonder why they really have to evacuate, when Anderson Cooper, not having the sense to get inside out of the rain, didn't have anything worse to contend with than a case of pneumonia. Please don't take this as an invitation to follow up with the next hurricane coverage by having someone at ground zero, broadcasting while the surge rises up around him. Because TV newscasters really serve no useful purpose in this type of entertainment broadcasting masquerading as news.
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Katrina's Surge: http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/Katrinas_surge_contents.asp
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Lake Toho - Kissimmee
Storm Tracker
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Posts: 317
Loc: Kissimmee, Florida on Lake Toh...
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I believe the news, while at times dramatic, plays an important role in these types of storms. While you may think it is pathetic, it is our only view into the storm. Frankly there use to be a time when the news media put their people in harms way, and everyone was horrified. I frankly think it is responsible for them to not put people in harms way to get a story. What makes people not want to evacuate is not the news, but inconveniences like 30 hour traffic jams, no fuel, etc. I can honestly tell you I have been there, done that.
As far as their coverage, all I can say is thank god for them. If it wasnt for the news media more people in New Orleans would have dehydrated and starved to death. If it wasnt for the news media more people would have died. If it wasnt for the media, people all over the world would not have an insight to just how dangerous and devestating hurricanes can be and less people would have evacuated Texas and Louisianna. If it wasnt for the media, noone would have known people were/are in need, and the donations would not have been as good as they are.
While the media does have some issues, I do not think they deserve the critizism you provided them. When it comes to storm coverage, they are our only eyes and ears. If you really think someone should be at ground zero of the hurricane, I am sure they are looking for volunteers.
I am sorry if I seem curt, I just know that during Andrew , and when my home and all of my 7 days worth of supplies (water, ice, food) got swept away , we had to wait 4-5 days for George Bush Sr to act (seems to run in the family) and he did so as a result of media pressure. Unless you have ever been effected by a Major Hurricane, its hard to imagine just how important the media can be.
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Dream like you will live forever.. Live like there is no tommorow.. Darwin Rules !!
Edited by Lake Toho - Kissimmee (Sun Sep 25 2005 01:25 AM)
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Lake Toho - Kissimmee
Storm Tracker
Reged:
Posts: 317
Loc: Kissimmee, Florida on Lake Toh...
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Oh and when it comes to Anderson Cooper, he is not poor. Actually he never has been, his Mother is Gloria Vanderbilt.
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Dream like you will live forever.. Live like there is no tommorow.. Darwin Rules !!
Edited by Lake Toho - Kissimmee (Sun Sep 25 2005 02:58 AM)
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