It’s been heartening to see that some of the news media — particularly the cable channels — have been willing to ask questions about what the hell is going on when it takes days for food and water to move just a couple of miles to people crying for help, when cameramen and reporters can get there.*
But I do have to wonder how long they’ll stick with it. CNN’s Aaron Brown was already talking about “disaster fatigue” on last night’s show.
And let us remember what the big story for most of the news programs was a week ago. On Friday, August 26, while the US was involved in a war in Iraq (which I think is still going on) each of the following prime-time cable news shows (there may be more) devoted significant portions of their programs to Natalee Holloway, who had disappeared nearly three months before.
- Hannity & Colmes (FOX)
- On the Record With Greta Sustern (FOX)
- Nancy Grace (CNN)
- Larry King Live (CNN)
- The Abrams Report (MSNBC)
- Rita Cosby Live & Direct (MSNBC)
- Scarborough Country (MSNBC)
Several of those shows have spent much of the summer on that one story. Here’s hoping that they’ll spend a comparable amount of time following up on the fate of victims of Hurricane Katrina.
* For that matter, if security for a supply caravan was seriously an issue (something I’m having a hard time imagining) food could have been dropped or lowered on the convention center area from the Greater New Orleans Bridge (US90), which passes directly over the southwest end of the Morial Convention Center.