Breaking: CNN covered the Nashville flood for two minutes, talked to a Gulf Coast fisherman about the oil spill!
Living in Alabama, I am sandwiched between disasters. Below me, the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico; above me, flooding in Tennessee.
There is a palpable helplessness here in Montgomery. My neighbors and I can do precious little other than mourn the loss of decent oysters for Sunday brunch and brace ourselves for the full impact.
My friends in Mobile and Dauphin Island are mobilized and engaged in what Doug Suttles, COO of BP, called the “largest response effort ever launched.” He was on Fox and Friends this morning explaining how containment and clean up procedures were progressing, but was strangely absent from any other news outlet.
I attempted to volunteer through the National Audubon Society but was politely informed that they didn’t have a need for girls without upper-body strength or rabies exposure shots to help wash birds. Especially since I don’t know much (read: anything) about handling wild animals.
I then attempted to connect with a volunteer organization out of Nashville and was told donating to relief efforts would be more productive than driving up there in a Prius with my limited skill set.
So, in lieu of actually being able to do anything productive, I’ll just have to write about it.
For some reason, a lot of people are really, really upset by the media’s failure to accurately capture the devastation from a human angle. Like they expected someone to interview restaurant owners or fishermen or families who lost their homes or something.
Southerners have a long and rich tradition as storytellers; front porches in July heat make for great conversation. Part of coping with tragedy involves talking about it, knowing that people are listening and are supportive. While the country had open arms and ears for Katrina victims, I haven’t seen a single fisherman’s wife talking about losing their primary source of income. I haven’t seen a feature on the heroic efforts of Nashville folks using bass boats to rescue strangers from rising floodwaters.
Well, actually, I have heard these stories, from people I know personally, and that’s the only reason I know what’s really happening.
But I know we’ve got a whole lot going on right now, what with Specter and Sestak bickering and an unfortunate-looking woman being nominated for SCOTUS, I realize there isn’t much time to talk about the plight of a bunch of rednecks.
Oh, but wait, CNN just spent ten minutes talking about how many followers Britney Spears has on twitter (she just surpassed Ashton Kutcher!).
Other Posts of Interest:
- Video: The AP Blew At Least Part of Its Sparkman Murder Story.
- If Conservatives Want A New Media Environment, They’re Going to Have to Listen
- Right-Wing Hate Not Confirmed, But MSM Lunch-Eating in Full Force!
Category: Oh, THAT liberal media.
Great post! I discovered this article last week about the Houma Indians that are struggling to survive on Louisiana's coasts. And that was before the oil spill. Thought you might like to read. http://fieldnotes.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/05/1…
Want some news coverage? Somehow connect the flood or the blowout up with New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward. Then you'll hear nothing else for a month.
Right on! Being an Alabama lady, I find myself in the same predicament. I am appalled at the lack of MSM coverage of the Nashville flood. I guess if Nashville's youth were looting and rioting instead of riding around in bass boats helping their neighbors, it might be a different story. Of course, the only reason the Gulf oil spill is being covered with such verocity is to demonize the oil industry. No worries! We here in the South take care of our own.
Right on, Casey! Please tell me you're going to Right Online.
I tend to think the only reason the news tells such stories is when they want to make someone look bad. And if they don't want that special someone to look bad, we won't hear the stories. Don't worry though, as soon as they kind find a Bush-angle in all of this, those stories will spew out as fast as the oil from that well.