Worst coverage I have ever seen

[dlaw]

I have been a lurker here for a long, long time. Enjoy all the great info that members give...

What has made me post is the complete frustration I have with the quality of news coverage to, by the looks of things, the biggest disaster in U.S. history.

It is like they sent all their reporters to sleep... This is a developing story that is changing by the minute- only Cnn has live coverage and it is weak at best. The fact that the mayor of New Orleans had a twenty minute interview describing the total devastation- and decribing the levee break four hours ago... where are these reports in the national coverage.

I was awake and watching bbc news when the first reports of the tsunami came in, and they dedicated the resources right away, which it deserved. The U.S. stations lagged well behind. Here we have a situation where you have all reporters in one area and if is it this is happening on another continent.

Sorry... just had to vent...

[crazycajuncane]

Totally agree! My mother said... aren't these supposed to be 24 hour news channels?

Nothing but small mention on CNN.... FOX NEWS and the rest are all replays.

I'm very surprised and upset at the fact that there is no media coverage... especially at a time like this.

[jopatura]

Although I agree the coverage could have done better, it's the middle of the night. Reporters do have to sleep as well and it's night with no electricity in the city. I'd be more worried if we had all the reporters rushing the levee break. I almost prefer the reporters to stay away, because if there's anything that can be done, it'll be done better without them. Not to be callous either, but the survivor's in NOLA wouldn't have any way to know about it either way, without a satellite radio with a backup supply of batteries.

Also, I'm sure there's limited info at best. The one's that know what's going on are going to be trying to fix it or save lives and the one's that don't know are the ones going to be running their mouths. When word gets out, it'll be the right word.

[JamesFromMaine2]

I think in N.O. they have told the reporters to get out! water is rising at a rate of 1 inch every 5 min. and the levee more then likely will continue to break!

[Okibeach]

I think a lot of the country is going to wake up and be stunned when they find out what has been happening in N.O. overnight. I'm sure they expect to hear about the devastation further east, but probably thought N.O. was in the clear because of how the reports were earlier.

[JQ Public]

Also most people that would be seeing the local coverage would be in N.O. Since there is virtually no power or people there. Very few are watching it. I'm sure that will change

[temujin]

The local New Orleans coverage is awesome.

I've been watching some dramatic rescues, with policemen on boats chopping open roofs to pull people out of their attics. Other people on roofs directed the police to the people trapped inside their houses.

From the videos I've seen, there are A LOT of people stuck of roofs. Not hundreds but thousands, and probably tens of thousands. The sherrifs pulled fifteen people out of one house.

[dlaw]

Jopatura- I agree with your post... But I feel as if the national news media has already decided that since the superdome did not collapse (thankfully) and bourbon is not underwater (right away) that this is no longer a news story. 24 news channels dedicated 24 hrs coverage of the storm before landfall- which of course is needed to alert all those in its path- but remember, there are millions of people who are glued to the t.v. right now to find out about loved ones and whether they will have a house, job.. etc. come daybreak.

[george_r_1961]

Although I agree the coverage could have done better, it's the middle of the night. Reporters do have to sleep as well and it's night with no electricity in the city. I'd be more worried if we had all the reporters rushing the levee break. I almost prefer the reporters to stay away, because if there's anything that can be done, it'll be done better without them. Not to be callous either, but the survivor's in NOLA wouldn't have any way to know about it either way, without a satellite radio with a backup supply of batteries.

Also, I'm sure there's limited info at best. The one's that know what's going on are going to be trying to fix it or save lives and the one's that don't know are the ones going to be running their mouths. When word gets out, it'll be the right word.

Not to mention these same reporters have been pulling long shifts prior to Katrina making landfall.

[jopatura]

Jopatura- I agree with your post... But I feel as if the national news media has already decided that since the superdome did not collapse (thankfully) and bourbon is not underwater (right away) that this is no longer a news story. 24 news channels dedicated 24 hrs coverage of the storm before landfall- which of course is needed to alert all those in its path- but remember, there are millions of people who are glued to the t.v. right now to find out about loved ones and whether they will have a house, job.. etc. come daybreak.

And I agree with you too, in a way. I just don't feel that people need to jump on the news media because the few night owls that either can't sleep due to the images of destruction (me, for example) or people too interested to sleep aren't informed right at the moment it happens. By tomorrow morning, enough bigwigs in all major news stations will know what happens. All major news networks have people that monitor feeds for information overnight and come the 5am news, the levee breach will be the top story, guaranteed.

[Mobile Expat]

I feel as if the national news media has already decided that since the superdome did not collapse (thankfully) and bourbon is not underwater (right away) that this is no longer a news story. 24 news channels dedicated 24 hrs coverage of the storm before landfall- which of course is needed to alert all those in its path- but remember, there are millions of people who are glued to the t.v. right now to find out about loved ones and whether they will have a house, job.. etc. come daybreak.

I am a journalist. Never underestimate the brevity of my profession's attention span. You nailed it: The Quarter is still here and the Superdome didn't collapse and kill 10,000 people with one stroke. Next story, please.

Editors in newsrooms around the country will be stunned when they wake up tomorrow and hear the story isn't over, that the flooding has continued.

[GulfHills]

I agree with you.....seems all the coverage was in the French Quarters and Superdome. I have no words to explain the sadness in my heart for all the people that have been effected. Hopefully tomorrow will be different and they'll show a lot more.

[SouthFloridawx]

I agree they all suck for coverage.... they think this was some small thing.... just another hurricane.... IT IS THE BIGGEST DISASTER RELIEF EFFORT BY THE RED CROSS OF ALL TIME. WE ARE GOING TO SEE THINGS TOMORROW WE WON'T FORGET AND YES AS BAD AS 9/11 MAYBE ... WHERE IS THE PRESS ON THIS ONE

[crazycajuncane]

Too bad the media forgot that the people don't live in the Superdome.

All we heard about today was how the Superdome survived and how this wasn't the catastrophic event it could have been.

Then.... the reports started coming in. Kenner under water... New Orleans east under water... Mississippi coast is gone.... how the hell isn't this catastrophic? The media has made a big mistake in downplaying everything early on. Now you've lost the attention of many.

There are millions and millions of people living in the damaged path that might feel it's ok to start working their way back home. The media needs to be there to let people know whats going on. Evacuees are probably waiting for ANY news possible.

[jopatura]

I do know people are heading home because our own reporters from Houston stood stupidly at an LA gas station, asking people what they were expecting "as they went home". Another thing I fear hampered the news coverage is that poverty that can be found throughout the places hit. People don't want to here about the ninth ward going down, they wanna hear about the hot tourist spots and the fancy million dollar houses on the water.

But, I have to cut the media some slack because if the emergency people can't get there, neither can the media.

[SouthFloridawx]

I do know people are heading home because our own reporters from Houston stood stupidly at an LA gas station, asking people what they were expecting "as they went home". Another thing I fear hampered the news coverage is that poverty that can be found throughout the places hit. People don't want to here about the ninth ward going down, they wanna hear about the hot tourist spots and the fancy million dollar houses on the water.

But, I have to cut the media some slack because if the emergency people can't get there, neither can the media.

The media just doesn't get it anymore... It all seems like just a big production... INCLUDING TWC... MAKES ME SICK RIGHT NOW

[dlaw]

I sent an email to cnn- at 1:30 am telling them of the mayor interview- along wih link to interview. I guess somebody at cnn finally read it.

[Mobile Expat]

But, I have to cut the media some slack because if the emergency people can't get there, neither can the media.

True. But the reporters and their editors could have played the story as one that was still developing due to their inability to get information instead of declaring New Orleans a lucky, marginally damaged metropolis.

[temujin]

I agree they all suck for coverage.... they think this was some small thing.... just another hurricane.... IT IS THE BIGGEST DISASTER RELIEF EFFORT BY THE RED CROSS OF ALL TIME. WE ARE GOING TO SEE THINGS TOMORROW WE WON'T FORGET AND YES AS BAD AS 9/11 MAYBE ... WHERE IS THE PRESS ON THIS ONE

This is worse than 9/11.

[crazycajuncane]

I sent an email to cnn- at 1:30 am telling them of the mayor interview- along wih link to interview. I guess somebody at cnn finally read it.

WOW

Is that the first time they heard the mayors speech? I think we're doing better here on the boards sharing information.

I saw the mayors speech like three hours ago on WWL TV.