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Hurricane Katrina - General Discussion
Posted: Aug 29 2005, 06:14 AM
It's bright and early (5:30am) and I'm watching CNN coverage of Hurricaine Katrina and the video that's coming in is showing some already impressive footage of the flooding. There's only scant photos of the general destruction since they can't get cameras in the path of damage.
As stuff starts happening, people who own photoblogs on the Flickr site are starting to put up their first person looks at the disaster.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/katrina/
New Orleans has run into a little luck. They were supposed to get slammed head on which would have resulted in a predicted leveling of 3/4 of the city and would have overwhelmed the levee system that protects the city from the coastline. The damage there is still supposed to be heavy. Let's hope the people down there get really lucky.
note: I edited the link to the photos. The previous one went to an incomplete collection.
This post has been edited by Sheldon on Aug 30 2005, 05:29 AM
As stuff starts happening, people who own photoblogs on the Flickr site are starting to put up their first person looks at the disaster.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/katrina/
New Orleans has run into a little luck. They were supposed to get slammed head on which would have resulted in a predicted leveling of 3/4 of the city and would have overwhelmed the levee system that protects the city from the coastline. The damage there is still supposed to be heavy. Let's hope the people down there get really lucky.
note: I edited the link to the photos. The previous one went to an incomplete collection.
This post has been edited by Sheldon on Aug 30 2005, 05:29 AM
Posted: Aug 29 2005, 06:20 AM
The voiceover in the CNN video transitions to promote their coverage of Katrina is oddly sensational. A sports announcer like voice comes on and says "CNN, YOUR center for hurricane news!"
Posted: Aug 29 2005, 07:36 AM
The news about Katrina triggers me to post a critique about the weather.
I started paying attention to 'weather reporting hype' when -- I think a year ago -- the whole North East was supposed to be hit with a mondo snow storm. Flights were cancelled, schools closed, etc -- and nothing really happened.
I read -- but could not find today -- a critique of the weather reporting by a weather expert instructor of an university. In a nutshell he says that people will watch the station with the most doom and gloom -- so all stations are under pressure to do the same, or they will not make as much money as possible.
The news right now (7am) is reporting that the Superdoom roof is leaking -- a far cry from the whole building blown away or missing...)
The following is a USA Today story on weather reporting:
08/08/2001
Bad weather vs. bad reporting
By Herb Brubaker
With the hurricane season upon us and square in the midst of a near-nationwide heat wave, this is a good time to critique television news' weather coverage — and overcoverage.
TV news consultants have a word for it: "anticipointment." Viewers anticipate something big and are disappointed with the results.
Anticipointment occurs when newscasters promote the upcoming weather as the Disastrous Event of the Century, and it just isn't — not because the forecast changed, but because the weather's severity was hyped in the first place.
In winter, for example, some stations roll out their "team coverage" for any anticipated snowfall. Breathless live reports pepper the evening newscasts. Then barely a flake falls.
Are viewers disappointed? Perhaps not, because they didn't have to fight rush-hour traffic in heavy snow. But many end up spinning their wheels with needless activity, such as rushing to the supermarket to prepare for a winter Armageddon that never materializes.
Going by the numbers
Why all of the weather hype? Ratings, of course. Weather is the No. 1 local TV news story, and the station that garners viewers for the weather has a good shot at being No. 1 in its market.
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2001/...-badweather.htm
I started paying attention to 'weather reporting hype' when -- I think a year ago -- the whole North East was supposed to be hit with a mondo snow storm. Flights were cancelled, schools closed, etc -- and nothing really happened.
I read -- but could not find today -- a critique of the weather reporting by a weather expert instructor of an university. In a nutshell he says that people will watch the station with the most doom and gloom -- so all stations are under pressure to do the same, or they will not make as much money as possible.
The news right now (7am) is reporting that the Superdoom roof is leaking -- a far cry from the whole building blown away or missing...)
The following is a USA Today story on weather reporting:
08/08/2001
Bad weather vs. bad reporting
By Herb Brubaker
With the hurricane season upon us and square in the midst of a near-nationwide heat wave, this is a good time to critique television news' weather coverage — and overcoverage.
TV news consultants have a word for it: "anticipointment." Viewers anticipate something big and are disappointed with the results.
Anticipointment occurs when newscasters promote the upcoming weather as the Disastrous Event of the Century, and it just isn't — not because the forecast changed, but because the weather's severity was hyped in the first place.
In winter, for example, some stations roll out their "team coverage" for any anticipated snowfall. Breathless live reports pepper the evening newscasts. Then barely a flake falls.
Are viewers disappointed? Perhaps not, because they didn't have to fight rush-hour traffic in heavy snow. But many end up spinning their wheels with needless activity, such as rushing to the supermarket to prepare for a winter Armageddon that never materializes.
Going by the numbers
Why all of the weather hype? Ratings, of course. Weather is the No. 1 local TV news story, and the station that garners viewers for the weather has a good shot at being No. 1 in its market.
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2001/...-badweather.htm
Posted: Aug 29 2005, 07:53 AM
George Carlin has a great comedy routine about the fun quotient of watching natural disasters in the news...
I don't usually follow major news on TV, but felt compelled to check this out for some reason. I was noticing that most of the reporters were fixated on the disaster potential of the situation around them. Only one of CNN's reporters that had access to video really seemed to be in a threatening environment. Cooper Anderson had a floating crane in the background and he kept bringing up all the crazy things that the crane could do if it broke loose. Each time they went back to him, he'd show how the crane had moved toward a bridge. The crane ended up being tethered or otherwise held, so that eventually ended the fun with the crane.
One other reporter had the camera guy shoot pieces of their roof flying off and he instructed the viewers to check out those light fixtures rip right out of the ceiling.
Yeah, they said the Superdome roof was peeling off. Now there's supposed to be a rather large hole in the roof. A former mayor of New Orleans was quoted as saying that was a huge surprise to him because the Superdome was supposed to be stronger than the Roman Colliseum.
I don't usually follow major news on TV, but felt compelled to check this out for some reason. I was noticing that most of the reporters were fixated on the disaster potential of the situation around them. Only one of CNN's reporters that had access to video really seemed to be in a threatening environment. Cooper Anderson had a floating crane in the background and he kept bringing up all the crazy things that the crane could do if it broke loose. Each time they went back to him, he'd show how the crane had moved toward a bridge. The crane ended up being tethered or otherwise held, so that eventually ended the fun with the crane.
One other reporter had the camera guy shoot pieces of their roof flying off and he instructed the viewers to check out those light fixtures rip right out of the ceiling.
Yeah, they said the Superdome roof was peeling off. Now there's supposed to be a rather large hole in the roof. A former mayor of New Orleans was quoted as saying that was a huge surprise to him because the Superdome was supposed to be stronger than the Roman Colliseum.
Posted: Aug 29 2005, 08:04 AM
This is not really the right forum for this rant -- but it is related to the Katrina reporting. (On ABC I just saw a computer graphic simulation of water flowing over a dike and flowing into New Orleans, which of course, at least not yet, has happened!)
This rant is about what me and my brother Barry call 'The CNN Effect'
Everything is hyped, or Over-Hyped in my opinion.
A few examples: the weather of course, but remember the Flu Vaccine Shortage Tragedy of last winter? To recap, the flu vaccine supply was low and as a result everyone in the USA between 2 and 122 would be dead. People were lining up for hours to get shots, taking time off work, etc. As I remember someone actually died waiting in a line somewhere.
Y2K was a good one, the current West Nile virus, child abductions, cell phone radiation. Must mention the tourist that disappeared in Aruba.
This rant is about what me and my brother Barry call 'The CNN Effect'
Everything is hyped, or Over-Hyped in my opinion.
A few examples: the weather of course, but remember the Flu Vaccine Shortage Tragedy of last winter? To recap, the flu vaccine supply was low and as a result everyone in the USA between 2 and 122 would be dead. People were lining up for hours to get shots, taking time off work, etc. As I remember someone actually died waiting in a line somewhere.
Y2K was a good one, the current West Nile virus, child abductions, cell phone radiation. Must mention the tourist that disappeared in Aruba.
Posted: Aug 29 2005, 08:41 AM
I forgot the biggest recent hype -- the .com -- internet -- everyone will get rich FedExing kitty litter around the country -- bubble!
Dana
Dana
Hope it drains by Mardi Gras
Posted: Aug 30 2005, 06:23 AM
Well, it's not likely to be in any shape for the opening of NFL season. It's possible that San Jose will be finally getting a second major team if even only temporarily. The New Orleans Saints are based out of San Jose State University until they can figure out what to do.
SJ Mercury: Katrina blows Saints all the way to San Jose
---
After one of the levees that protects New Orleans from a nearby lake broke open, 80% of the city is said to be under water. The Red Cross is calling their relief effort for Katrina the biggest relief effort that they've ever undertaken. Indeed, they're going to need a lot of relief. I'm going to start a new thread on the relief efforts.
SJ Mercury: Katrina blows Saints all the way to San Jose
---
After one of the levees that protects New Orleans from a nearby lake broke open, 80% of the city is said to be under water. The Red Cross is calling their relief effort for Katrina the biggest relief effort that they've ever undertaken. Indeed, they're going to need a lot of relief. I'm going to start a new thread on the relief efforts.
Posted: Aug 31 2005, 08:09 AM
I was searching online about New Orleans and found a lot of commentary about the reporting. Some of it was kind of like the "gloom and doom" gripes that we echoed here, but it surprised me to see how so many people were seeing political bias in what they were hearing about Hurricane Katrina. It was really disturbing to read comments from people who were gleefully gloating at all the "liberal global warming Chicken Littles" before the intense footage started finally coming in. I mean come on, once a disaster has hit, there should be nothing political about it.
