Turn off the TV!!!

[Scorpion]

I absolutely can't stand the media anymore. I know more weather than alot of these mets they have on the local stations. Then they always have to overdramatize the effects of the storm.

[mitchell]

<snip> Unfortunately, reporters have a nasty habit of turning up the volume in cases like this, and, as early as 7 a.m. this morning, already had their live trucks outside a local Home Depot, saying, "Even at this early hour, customers are arriving to buy supplies head of Fay...", but, that does nothing to ease the public's anxieties, and, if anything will make matters worse, especially when reporters begin to feel their own stress, since it's well known that reporters are some of the most stressed individuals in the workplace, and, as journalists know, their own anxiety can easily be seen and transfered over to their audience...

A few months ago, I decided to end my watching of certain OCM's on The Weather Channel because they seemed to be so stressed themselves, that just listening to them would make my own muscles tighten, and, since making the committment to "turn the dial" (or at least mute the TV), I've actually felt a decrease in weather related concerns - especially helpful when the outcome was far less than their own fears...

<snip>

I agree with you as to the stupidity of it Frank, although i've never thought it was the media's job to "ease the public's anxieties". I'd rather they just report what they think is legitimate news and let me, the viewer, decide whether i want to tune it in or, more frequently, tune it out.

As far as the TWC goes, this topic has been done to death, but I also agree with you there. They continue to put people on camera, both in studio and more often in the field (most recently the condo manager on South Padre during Dolly) who say off the wall things. As an ongoing example, they seemingly aren't trained in geology or coastal processes, but talk about beach erosion and dune loss during many events without any concern for accuracy. I have yet to see Jim Cantore come back once and say something like: "remember 72 hours ago when i hollered to you that this beach was completely washed away? Well what i mean't to say was the tide and surge were up so the beach was underwater. This community actually lost about 20% of the sand."

[Frank2]

Yes, true - I feel somewhat guilty about being critical of the media, but, some of the "new generation" OCM's on TWC are so LOUD and aggressive in their take on things that it's almost expected that listening to them will raise the blood pressure of just about anyone who is watching...

In comparison, most of the veteran TWC OCM's (with the exception of Jim at times) are much more professional and sensible than those of recent years, who just seem to be there because that was their choice of a college major - not because they enjoy the weather...

I'm hoping that TWC will not send the "A" portion of the A/B segment to report on Gustav, since she seems so wired that her reporting from the Gulf coast will only cause many to become as hyper as she seems to be - again, it's a sad thing to be critical this way, but, that's what the media has become, and, the viewing public, as in the case of gasoline comsumption, needs to become less dependent on the media for an answer to it's problems and more dependent on God instead...

Frank

[MBryant]

I agree with you Frank2.

We need more Walter Cronkites and fewer Paul Reveres.

Preparedness should DECREASE panic, not INVOKE panic.

[capepoint]

Hype sells, calm don't. Why do you think the in storm reporters stand in between buildings in falsely high winds rather than behind a building sheltered from the wind? Most media outlets (especially TWC for the last few years) apparently care a whole lot less about accuate reports than they do about ratings, because ratings drive sales. The more people watch, the higher the ratings, the more advertising sales, at higher sales prices because you can show that you had a huge audience. Since there is only so much ad time to go around, it becomes even more expensive as clients compete for it. (Supply and demand)

My brother works in TV ad sales. He says this all of the time. He loves it when he gets to sale time during prime time or network syndicated shows.