Biased Media Coverage?

[Mark42]

After watching the news for the last few days I am getting the feeling that some news programs are sensationalizing the situation and only showing one view of it all... the tragedy and subsequent looting and deaths. <br /><br />But where are the photos and news coverage of the Guard and Military being mobilized? Why don't we see the food that has been delivered being destributed? Why wasn't there coverage of Saturday and Sundays mass exodus of 400,000 citizens out of New Orleans?<br /><br />I see a lot of footage of looters, poor folks walking around in knee deep water, dead people under blankets, destruction of houses, stores, water front, oil equipment, masses of people at the stadium, etc.<br /><br />Either no relief has arrived at all, no food deliveries, no water deliveries, or the media is only showing the worst of the worst. <br /><br />I find it hard to believe that nothing positive has happened worth reporting.

 

[ufm82]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

Because that's the media's job- to show us how miserable things are. How often do you see positive reports on anything? It's more compelling to show misery than happiness. The liberal left dwells in misery and they absolutely hate the military. If they were to show the Guard they might show something positive and that would be bad. <br /><br /> It's disgusting to watch the TV now- I see nothing but the bad. I can guarantee that there have been high points in this tragedy. I see the same thing in the Iraq coverage. Never anything positive, just negative all the time. <br /><br />UFM82

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

I say this every day, they should be ashamed of themselves.<br /><br />Ken

 

[Mark42]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

And the whole world is watching CNN. How wonderful for us. To watch that channel you would think that all Americans do when things get bad is loot, rape and murder.<br /><br />Haven't seen anything about Mississippi on CNN. Is that because they have things under control?

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

Oh man that what American media is all about, SENSATIONALISM. American audience have a thirst for that kind of stuff, I personally don't. That kid on American idols, William Hung, was a disgrace to the Asian community but he got famous and rich because the media talks about him for months.

 

[KeltonKrew]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

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[Tinkr]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

Good to see this thread, because what we're seeing here is disturbing.<br /><br />I'm in two minds about what we've seen, allowing for my usual mistrust of the press and its desire for graphic and sensational images etc.<br /><br />Either it's "Escape from New York" meets "Tsunamai 2" or it's "Things are really bad but we're struggling on."<br /><br />From what I've seen it's between the two. <br /><br />Far too many scenes of people who haven't had food or drink for days. Audio of some Australians there, courteously flown in by idiot airlines with no warning of what was coming, which suggest anarchy and no supplies reaching people desperately in need of it.<br /><br />I'm getting the distinct impression that this is a right royal stuff up that could easily have been avoided, and that the response is way too slow and very badly run.<br /><br />The world's only superpower can do stunning stuff in Afghanistan and Iraq but you have people in your own country who go without water for days, which can kill people, and you have seriously ill patients in hospitals sitting on roofs waiting for rescue that doesn't come because one or two locals are shooting at the choppers? Not good enough, by any standards.<br /><br />On the other hand, tonight I saw some wanker TV reporter do the heroic "Look at me" segment breaking into a cage to get orange juice for the thirsty when any zombie within a few clicks could have, and for all we know did, do exactly the same.<br /><br />Trying to balance it all, I'm presently inclined to think that if you had had the world's worst military commander charged with planning for this a few days beforehand things wouldn't be anywhere near as bad as they are now. But it seems that you weren't lucky enough to have anything even that bad, so there was no real planning and there is no real co-ordination of the relief effort.<br /><br />I don't know what it's really like, but that's the impression from here and each news report makes it look worse; that nobody is in control; and that the relief effort is half-a$$ed and incompetent.

 

[PW2]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

Ah, If you were the one's who'd been without food or drink for three days, I'll bet you would want it reported.<br /><br />Even our president suggested today that the progress is "unacceptable". Four days late, perhaps, but better late than never, I suppose.<br /><br />Communication is the key. I am not there, of course, but it appears commucation with the affected people, even by use of something like a bull horn, has been less than desirable.<br /><br />If there were all that much good news out there, I'd think someone would report it. I did hear that looting has dropped a fair bit, as i suspect there is little left to steal.<br /><br />But someone should articulate this good news, what it is--and I'm sure someone would report it--The president is getting ready to speak right now--perhaps he can shed some light on this good news--unless he is biased as well.

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

Of coarse he said that because he's learned you can't fight the media. Better to make it look like you're an unsatisfied outsider than try to defend all the hard working people putting their lives on the line and even being shot at by the people they are trying to help.<br /><br />The primary responsibility rests with the LOCAL OFFICIALS - LOCAL that's the way it works here in the US PW. Nobody in the media is going to criticize a black mayor or a woman democrat Governor they way the went after Jeb a few years ago in similar circumstances.

 

[treedancer]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

Come on people get real if you were driving down a highway what would you pay more attention to a auto accident or a picnic?<br /> <br /> Remember this is all about ratings. Ratings are what are used to determine what they can charge for their commercials. The more people that watch their program the more money they make.<br /><br /> Media bias is a myth seeing as they are all large stockholders owned moneymaking companies. They all play to a certain group .I guess you could compare it to a franchise.<br /><br />Don

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

Let's not forget. These people were dancing on Bourbon street after the storm talking about how they dodged the big one and how "smart" all those people were who ignored the MANDATORY evacuation orders. All that changed the next day when the levies broke!<br /><br />You don't hear about the thousand and thousands that have been saved from rooftops, attics and alike by an unprecedented search and rescue mission the likes of which this world has never seen. You won't see the hundreds of thousands of dead here like you did in the Tsunami in Asia. <br /><br />Kind of tough to truck supplies into the middle of what is now lake.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050902/ts_nm/weather_katrina_reaction_dc <br /><br />Read this on Yahoo about what the rest of the world is thinking. Pretty f..up if you ask me, that not how it usually is here Tinkr. No matter what happen, we're still better than y'all. We have freedom of the press, they show what they want. Sometime only showing the bad side would improve things. You would never see any thing bad out of say N.Korea media but look at what kind of shi.t hole they're in.

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

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[mrbscott19]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

A rather large point that I think everyone is missing is that without this "biased" media reporting, a whole lot less people would be inclined to help out.<br /><br />If the media was going around showing how wonderful everything is, do you really think people would be as anxious to donate to the cause? <br /><br />This disaster is worse than 9/11. Just wait until the death toll. And you people are complaining about seeing only the bad. NEWS FLASH!!! An entire city is under water, nothing good has come out of this. Some of you spend way too much time trying to find the good, just so you can pretend the bad isn't happening. You need a reality check.<br /><br />If good things are going on, then great, that means things are being done right. The bad things are what need to be given attention, so they can be fixed. If things are going good it means its already been fixed. I'm personally more concerned with whats wrong and what I can do to help fix it than I am with things that are already fixed.<br /><br />When you change the impellar on your outboard, do you spend your time thiking about how great of a job you did on it, or do you worry more about the fact that the motor doesn't even start?

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

I think you feel to realize the larger consequences of this sort of coverage. Who in the world would want to be the head of FEMA or be involved in these sorts of efforts when all you get is criticized by people who have never had a real job in their whole lives? <br /><br />Too many people in America no longer make things or have to accomplish something real and tangible for a living anymore. As a result, they expect magic since they have no sense of what it takes to really get something done.<br /><br />The media is not supposed to be advocates. They are supposed to report the facts and help put things in context and perspective so that people have a complete picture of what is happening.

 

[oddjob]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

Originally posted by Ralph:<br /> Of coarse he said that because he's learned you can't fight the media. Better to make it look like you're an unsatisfied outsider than try to defend all the hard working people putting their lives on the line and even being shot at by the people they are trying to help.<br /><br />The primary responsibility rests with the LOCAL OFFICIALS - LOCAL that's the way it works here in the US PW. Nobody in the media is going to criticize a black mayor or a woman democrat Governor they way the went after Jeb a few years ago in similar circumstances.

Boom! "I got your girl friend"<br /><br />SPOT ON Ralph!<br /><br />....(MAyor/Gov. montage)<br />Yeah! we aint gonna spend any of our local money on this mess.......<br /><br />"gimme that mic and camera you honky news man"! F'N! pres!...#$%$#! you bes get yo Go%^#$%^%d Dam@^@%^ *** down HEaaaaah and help us some wid Fed money RIght now!......"pawdon my french and axe-scent".....whitey!

 

[oddjob]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

Originally posted by Ralph:<br /> I think you feel to realize the larger consequences of this sort of coverage. Who in the world would want to be the head of FEMA or be involved in these sorts of efforts when all you get is criticized by people who have never had a real job in their whole lives? <br /><br />Too many people in America no longer make things or have to accomplish something real and tangible for a living anymore. As a result, they expect magic since they have no sense of what it takes to really get something done.<br /><br />The media is not supposed to be advocates. They are supposed to report the facts and help put things in context and perspective so that people have a complete picture of what is happening.

DanG! SPOT ON AGAIN ! Ralph.<br /><br />I wish I had more time and you patience....

 

[PW2]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

So are you suggesting they report the "facts" or the facts according to Ralph--ie what you want to hear.<br /><br />I am absolutely sure that there are lots of people working very hard--and the news I have watched have shown lots of footage of coast guard rescues and the like.<br /><br />And yes it is a local issue. But we have had no "Guiliani" step up in this crisis, and we need one. <br /><br /> They fed the people of Berlin with air drops 60 years ago under a lot more difficult circumstances, and we could have done a better job here.<br /><br />And they had more than 48 hours notice that this was at least a cat 4 hurricane, and they had prior knowledge that the levies around N O were designed to withstand up to a cat 3 storm only.<br />You will never convince me that this is as good as we could have done.<br /><br />Who's to blame? I don't have any idea, and I am sure it will become clearer as time goes on.<br /><br />But to blame the media for reporting "bad" news is ludicrous

 

[oddjob]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

I agree with what you said PW except the last line. <br /><br />Who's to blame? the madia(most of them) keeps suggesting whos to blame along w/ the local politicians. Where was the LA national guard for 4 days?

 

[mikeandronda]

Re: Biased Media Coverage?

Oddjob I have heard that much of the La. Gaurd is or was in Iraq.