Disaster PORN, and the Networks

[nadinbrzezinski]

Ok time to ask WHO benefits? What you have watched over the last week or so are clueless reporters... you read right, clueless reporters, who are trying to create a meme... which is... this is worst than Katrina.

Now there are reasons for that...

1.- The media really does not know how disasters work, and they are quite organic and the book to do this improves every time.

2.- The Media has an agenda... wait... REALLY? DUH! Now sit down and realize that CNN is doing disaster porn and trying to show how bad GOVERNMENT is handling this. Oh never mind this is happening in another country.

Now here is another shocker, MSNBC is doing the same but less off it. But they are still doing the same. If you care to go expand your horizons GO to the organizations actually doing the work. They are like posting updates of this, ok most without pictures.

There are other reasons to tune out, and this is YOUR MENTAL health, some of this but, but but why are they not moving faster... is seen in disaster workers who FORGET to pace themselves and take a break and they are like THERE.

But seriously, WHY do you think they are telling you this is a disaster of a response? WHO owns them?

Reality is that CNN and the rest are not your best sources to know what is actually going on, and as is they have a pretty much in front of their nose limited information... so go, google the organizations and well read what is actually going on.

And yes, EVERYBODY has an agenda....

[KharmaTrain]

1. The Porn Is Their Own Self Promotion...

I don't see comparisons with Katrina in the coverage...no two tragedies are the same. This one reflects the poor condition this country was in prior and then after the quake. It's a true international disaster while Katrina was a domestic clusterfuck. For the most part news coverage, that can get out, has been above board...just watch the coverage on a foreign network like BBC or DW. The storyline is the same there as it is on CNN or MSNBC. All these organizations are also hampered by not having much access to a non-existant govermnent that has reduced Port Au Prince into a political and security vacuum as well as being limited to where they can reach...much of the afflicted areas are still difficult to reach and security remains a major problem.

Where I see the Porn is the self-promotion...the "exclusives" and all the "personalities" who were flown in that overshadow the coverage. It's the "personification" of this tragedy such as the Florida family who are still searching for their daughter that have been exploited and is painful to watch. It's the "Americanization" of the story...typical corporate media myopia where Haitians are viewed as "poor riff raff" where an American interests are of more importance and showing the US military yet little attention shown to the many other nations that have rushed rescue teams to the area.

Yes, everyone has an agenda...but it doesn't mean people have to buy it. While I could care less what Wolfie or Brian Williams have to say on the matter...there have also been some excellent reporting. Jason Carroll is one who has done some fascinating work...no agenda, just straight up what he's seeing. As is the case with many disasters now, they become media shows...knowing people are tuning in and trying to make the most to use the tragedy to promote their personalities and "exclusives".

My concern is what type of coverage will happen once the crisis fades...when the cameras are turned off and the real rebuilding and reorganization begins. Let's see how quickly their blinking eye moves on to the "next big thing" and Haiti once again become an afterthought.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Coverage in the Recovery phase is not as sexy

and I have watched other media... by the way.

I could go into their agendas too... like oh Al Jazeera... the US is not allowing anybody from abroad to land... well reporter should have turned around and made sure the AIr Qatar plane was like oh off frame.

[KharmaTrain]

3. It's America Myopia In Action...

It's been a decades long criticism I have of American media...how every story has to be framed in "how does it affect the US"...with little regard to a country's history or culture. It's naturally going to make the US look like the heroes and other countries in a negative light (unless they're our "allies") and give a distorted view of events. This is especially the case in a country where the populace speaks a different langugage and American reporters have to rely upon interpreters who know whose paying the bills and assure them a "good story".

I think its refreshing to watch coverage from other countries to get a better picture...and they include their own myopia as well. For the most part, I've been watching with the sound down...looking up when something catches my eye and relying on many sources of information.

Of course there's going to be an agenda in any "news"...as you have people with their own perspective and networks with their own self intersts involved. RTF from France is sure to put their own efforts in a bright light as much as CNN is on the US side. It's more pandering than any other agenda as the networks fight for the eyeballs...the more "compelling" the narratives, the more "personalized" stories are and skewed to the audience that is watching.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. That myopia is not limited to the US

everybody is doing it, but you did not address the point I made about Al Jazeera.

Hell I could go into one thing the Mexican press ran for oh ten seconds until they realized just how ridiculous it was... and it had its own agenda.

Won't post it or some round these parts will take it as gospel.

[pansypoo53219]

5. tragedy jazz hands.

it has become disaster porn. i mean. a woman trapped for 6 days. just dug out and you gotta try and interview her???

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Well that is like standard for any media

but this is more profound...