Since a devastating earthquake rocked Haiti a week ago, the impoverished island nation has been front-page news around the world. Starting from an essentially flat-footed position—there were few foreign-born correspondents in Haiti at the time the quake hit—the press has swarmed the country to document the destruction, monitor the relief effort, and track what happens to the survivors (and, in the process, caused some observers to wonder how many reporters is too many).
As a news junkie, are you closely following this outburst of coverage, or has “disaster fatigue” set in? Have there been particular stories or lines of coverage that you found especially profound or informative? And, perhaps most important: Are there stories you’re still waiting to read, or questions you’re waiting for the press to answer? Let us know in the comments section below.
This morning's NPR coverage focused (seemed to) on the militarization of security as a priority over humanitarian rescue. I only noticed this because I watched Democracy Now last night and their broadcast was focused on the responses of Haitians and aid workers to the American military presence. They believe the press is distorting the security issue and that is slowing down the deployment of medical support services. [http://www.democracynow.org/shows/2010/1/19] So it was jarring to hear NPR this morning focused on the military response. NPR may have been more comprehensive later in the broadcast but that was the story I heard on my way to work.
#1 Posted by MB, CJR on Wed 20 Jan 2010 at 12:54 PM
I think we're all so overwhelmed with what has happened in Haiti and all of the news coverage that has been brought to us that we need a break. It is quite annoying to me to see so many members of the press there covering the stories. Every channel you turn to there is another side of the story from Haiti. I think a once a week report on Haiti is enough now.
#2 Posted by Leslie Howard, CJR on Tue 26 Jan 2010 at 12:36 PM
On my drive to work this Monday, I listened to NPR's Morning Edition cover the second week of the Haiti disaster. The headines, at the top of the hour, mentioned looting and the apparent "theft" of a ton of food. To their credit, the subsequent reporters did not address "widespread looting." they addressed the human suffering. With one exception. The reporter prefaced his story with his possible stupidity and then played his interview with his guide to a makeshift encampment in Port au Prince. He asked his guide if the group they came upon were "dancing/" The guide responded that they were trying to deal with their losses, injuries and hunger. They had no time, he explained even to think of sex. The first thing I did on reaching my office was to send off a complaint to NPR. Fortunately, that Morning Edition appears to be an isolated lapse on public radio. Not so the MSM. From the first days, Washington seemed obsessed with shows of military force (at the expense of humanitarian efforts.) Mainstream reporting did not learn from Hurricane Katrina, distorting the human story to one of black savagery and crime. The white savagery of President Bush and "HeckuvaJob" Brownie went unreported for months. I trust, when the reconstruction of Port au Prince is under way, the news will begin to consider whether it is appropriate to deliver relief at the end of the barrel of a gun.
#3 Posted by Eileen Wheeler Sheehan, CJR on Wed 27 Jan 2010 at 07:37 PM