My e-mail to CNN in response to their newfound willingness to actually

[ET Awful]

report news . . . .


I must, for the first time in a very long time, congratulate CNN on their coverage of the tragedy in New Orleans. The willingness to not only confront FEMA representatives regarding their misrepresentations of the situation but to also air the interview with Mayor Nagin in it's entirety is commendable.

I am not, however, seeing at this point coverage of the biggest tragedy of all. The fact that much of the disaster in New Orleans could have been prevented. No, I'm not referring to changing the weather, I'm referring to reinforcing the levees. There were plans to do so, but the funding was cut and the money utilized for other things, such as the war in Iraq. The funding to reinforce those levees was cut by 80%.

When FEMA was absorbed into the Department of Homeland Security, we were told it would be more efficient. Yet, the people placed in charge of FEMA have no experience whatsoever with emergency management. They are businessmen.

This information MUST be publicized, the American people deserve nothing less than the whole truth. The disaster in New Orleans could have and should have been minimized or averted. Instead, the money was used for war and tax cuts for the wealthy.

The truth must be told, and so far, it looks like your response to the crisis is at least making the attempt. Please continue with your coverage and do so with the candor you've shown thus far.

I look forward to seeing CNN return to the days of yore when it was real, hard news, all day every day.

[still_one]

1. the reason is because they had reporters see what was happening

first hand

[ET Awful]

3. They also had reporters see what was happening first hand in

Iraq. . . . that didn't cause them to report it.

[still_one]

10. different, they were "embedded"

not the same thing

[madokie]

4. If the press was present in Iraq, that war wouldn't have lasted a month

[ET Awful]

7. The press was present in Iraq, but they were acting as toadies to

the administration and not reporting the entire truth.

[madokie]

8. My bad, I wonder if it wasn't because they were, are scared.

Not of the Iraqi's, but the US military.

[Lost4words]

5. 'bout time isnt it! But it gives one hope for our collective future.

I must admit, I have new found respect for Anderson Cooper. The press is supposed to ask tough questions, the fourth estate has been missing for too long.

[madokie]

2. I'll be echoing your take on this also as I send them a note

thanking them for reporting the news not spin.

[ewagner]

6. Aaron Brown did a good job

with the diversion/cutting of funds for the levee system last night.

[MidnightWind]

9. I fired off thank-yous to all the cable and broadcast news networks

yesterday. Please do the same. We have got to encourage them to report the truth and ask the hard questions instead of accepting spin from politicans.