Brian Williams on NBC says media "found their voice" during Katrina

[civildisoBDence]

Williams is giving Bush and Brownie some hell--long overdue--in remembering Katrina tonight. His outrage is obvious, even a year later.

He rightly says that if, after Katrina, we don't have a national conversation on race, class, petroleum, and the environment, we've failed miserably.

Right on, Brian. This hurricane focused our attention on so much collective evil--not just neglecting our fellow human beings, which is unforgivable, but wastefully and thoughtlessly gorging on oil like vampires on the blood of the earth. He's the only national anchor who talks about "Mother Nature," not in a sentimental or moralistic way, but as an irrefutable fact of life.

I disagree that Katrina led the media to "find its voice." Geraldo posturing in the early hours of the hurricane, and then again in the aftermath, struck me as typically self-aggrandizing and melodramatic. Limbaugh politicizing the hurricane and demonizing its victims was just as typical, and far more craven.

Williams is a good man and an exceptional journalist. His moral authority is just what we need to highlight the moral depravity of Bush and his minions.

I wish we had more like him.

[link:www.newsprism.com|News and commentary, left to right}

[Kagemusha]

1. His outrage was noted by DU a year ago.

I'm sure he's far more outraged that it's still in such horrible shape a year later.

Oprah did those specials on Katrina too. She must be ticked that so little's been done.

[uppityperson]

2. Didn't see Geraldo, but did see other media people covering aftermath.

"found their voice" in that they told and showed what was going on, contrary to the administration's words. I am very glad that the disconnect was there on tv.

[blm]

6. The problem for the country is that it was the FIRST TIME in 6yrs covering

Bush that the media finally reported the news as it happened which it made it impossible to spin it to Rove's specifications.

We NEEDED them to find their voice much sooner than they did - like after 9-11. The truth NEEDED reporting before the 2004 election.

[uppityperson]

7. indeed it did need reporting sooner.

I am glad that it happened finally with this. Wish also it would with Iraq, etc.

[Dover]

18. Yep. And many in the media who were trapped in N.O. with everyone else

got a taste of what being a second class citizen is really like on a daily basis...but heightened due to the emergency. That seemed to amaze and outrage them, but many people live with that injustice, anger and prejudice ALL the time. And while money/class is a big part of that problem
which can be talked about till we're all talked out, you can't really understand or have a dialogue about it until you know it in your heart. And to do that you've got to walk a mile in another man's shoes...to experience it firsthand.

People who make decisions for the majority of people in this country have absolutely no connection to the reality of their lives. How does leadership get reconnected? And I'm not talking about Bushco and their corporate backers who seem unsalvagable in terms of connecting to their own humanity........unless it somehow creeps into their lives and boardrooms.

I will say, though, that while many in the media have all their life's necessities met, they too are oppressed by their corporate masters. They haven't been allowed a voice (those who really want to speak truth to power), and so their own freedom is and has been undermined and is in jeopardy as well. We all must recognize and unite to make a stand and ferret out corruption that is destroying our lives and our ability to govern in a healthy and humane manner. And this issue has little to do with politics and party affiliations.

[AX10]

3. There are still too many in the media who opt not to have...

their own "voice".

That is to say that most in the media still have their head up *'s ass.

[LisaM]

4. I've watched Brian Williams carefully for some time

He is very fair. His choice of what to cover is often very thoughtful. I've been pleasantly surprised by him.

[City Lights]

5. Anderson Cooper's Katrina coverage stands out in my mind. eom

[bobbolink]

13. Me, too. Anderson was visibly shaken and that helped get people's

attention.

He went further than required, and it made a difference.

I just wish there was more followup now. :(

[EvolveOrConvolve]

8. They may have "found their voice"

but it didn't take long for them to lose it again. Maybe it's because they're so busy fellating GWB.

[central scrutinizer]

9. Too bad they are using their "voice" talking nonstop about JonBenet Ramsey

or whatever the latest distraction from real, meaningful coverage of issues that actually affect real people.

[doctorj]

11. Couldn't agree more! NT

[Ignacio Upton]

21. Unfortunately, their idiot producers

And bosses that own the channels decide what gets covered. While Brian Williams and Anderson Cooper may want to report the truth, they are being limited in doing so by the higer-ups at GE and Time Warner.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

10. Yeah, But They Lost It When They Let Shrubby Shove His Dick Down Their

throats again.

[Moochy]

17. Well put!

:applause:

[Uncle Joe]

12. They have always had their voice, it was journalistic integrity,

which has been AWOL, and still is to a large degree. Somebody needs to buy these news divisions away from the corporate conglomerates that don't really care about news, integrity, honesty and honor or they will never actually find this mythical voice (journalistic integrity), Williams speaks of.

[bobbolink]

14. Well, then, we've "failed miserably"

The "conversation" ended right after the storm, and there's NO awareness about the reality of classism in this country.

Dyson addressed that admirably on his BookTV program. His book, "Come Hell Or High Water" makes a great effort to get that conversation going. I don't think many are listening. :cry:

Thanks for your heads up on Williams. I don't watch news much, but I'll look out more for him, now. :hi:

[Beelzebud]

15. Then they lost their voice about a month later...

And only recently re-refound thier voice, as the 1st anniversary of Katrina is almost here...

Pathetic.

[Dover]

16. On Ellen Degenere's show today which focused on New Orlean, an

Exxon-Mobil exec. was on donating $500,000 to one of the hospitals in N.O.

I gagged and threw things at my t.v. She should have spat in his face.
First of all, considering the BILLIONS and BILLIONS of dollars the oil industry is
making off the people of this country and others, that pittance is an insult. Oil industry fat cats spend that much on lunch. Then there is the environmental damage to the whole Gulf region due in large part to the oil industry.

But more to the point, the oil industry doesn't care about people.......PERIOD. They have so much blood on their hands that to try to make it right by throwing money at any high profile cause, while simulataneously manipulating our government and its policies, the sinister oppression of
new technologies that have kept us all slaves to oil....don't get me started.

[AnnInLa]

19. Williams made a promise to New Orleans

to keep it in the spotlight, and he has done just that. For you DUers who gave up on broadcast nightly news shows, Williams will pleasantly surprise you. There's hardly a week that goes by that he doesn't feature New Orleans in a story. And, his reporting on most every story definitely has a liberal slant. It's a good damn thing that his nightly news show rates the highest, because he is one of the reasons that the public sheeple are turning against this administration. Come back to NBC Nightly News...you will be surprised.

[Individualist]

20. I did come back to Nightly News

after CBS announced Katie Couric :crazy: would be their news anchor.