Tuesday, September 27, 2005

 

Everyone screwed up in N.O.

24/7 TV "news" sucks.

Newspaper standards are dropping in an effort to keep up.

Blogs have taken some credit for outing stories ignored by the MSM. They get part of the blame for stoking untruth and inaccuracy.

In this case, as the following story points out, Katrina whipped to shreds the entire thin veneer that holds government officials and the media and readers-viewers together in an effort to find the truth.

We all should be ashamed. We all do have a dog in this hunt.

Thanks to former regular commenter Nick Toper for the following. He has wisely chosen to remain scarce lately to avoid unfair personal attacks by the anonymi. (I'm stuck with 'em.)

By Susannah Rosenblatt
and James Rainey
L.A. Times Staff Writers


Katrina Takes a Toll on Truth, News Accuracy

Rumors supplanted accurate information and media magnified the problem. Rapes, violence and estimates of the dead were wrong.


Read all about it.

--ER

Comments:
Good Story
 
And since you brought it up. What the heck is the difference in posting as Anonymous and using a fake anonymous name. I mean really everyone here is anonymous.
 
I have never, ever complained about anyone's anonymity for that very reason. Commenters here have so complained, but not me.

I refer to "anonymous" or "anonymi" collectively when complaining about what he-she-they write, for lack of any other way to identify who I'm referring to.

--ER
 
If it wasn't apparent before, it certainly is now, that the pen is indeed mightier than the sword.

People who blindly believe everything they hear without asking for proof can become the ones that elect out leaders

When that pen is wielded irresponsibly, Bad leaders rule.
 
Goes to show you what it's like when people think it's the end of the world, as those people must have. Which is pretty scary to think about, considering what might happen in the event of another widespread terror attack.

I used to think "catastrophizing" was kind of an individual thing that certain people did, but this kind of situation seems to prove that MOST people have this tendency.

Perhaps most especially the 24/7 media.
 
Apropos to perhaps nothing: Did anyone notice how clean and neat most of the people (usually one of the black, downtrodden, nowhere-to-go evacuees) appeared when on TV? I mean, down to the squirmy babies with pristine white diapers on??

Guess somebody had a portable dressing room and makeup staff along for the stand-ups on the scene.
 
" ... former regular commenter Nick Toper for the following. He has wisely chosen to remain scarce lately to avoid unfair personal attacks by the anonymi."

Is this the same "Nick Toper" who not infrequently snorted that posters are "intellectually dishonest" and that English was not the first language of someone who didn't understand what he posted, as disjointed or unsubstantiated or unclear as it might have appeared to anyone but "himself"?
 
I believe he has used such snarky language in the past, yes. He's as good at eggin' people on as anyone. (And he's a RW friend of mine ... and this is not an attempt AT ALL to drag him in here for a whupping.)

Please, GOD PLEASE let's stick to issues.

--ER
 
I didn't mean to suggest that all attacks on Nick were unfair. Many were fair game, I think.

But that's enough. This thread will not become about him.

--ER
 
Nick who?
 
Oh. Issues and public officials and public figures, who are always fair game.

Speaking of:

From what I've seen and read of it, I actually liked the way "Brownie" handled hisself before the Repub head-hunting panel today. He refused to play the victim, which was refreshing.

He could've been a little more graceful in pointing to the failures of the state and local folks in Louisiana -- but considering the way he's been maligned, I'm neither surprised nor upset that he came out with guns drawn, so to speak, like the little guy who pops up next to my comments.

--ER
 
As a retired old coot, with time and obsessions, I watched probably a hundred hours of the "24/7 news" about this starting with the Thursday before Katrina hit land and read many account on the web. My overall impression was that the "rumours" cited are 'cherry picked' from countless hours of reporting. Hell, I'm not a Fox fan but I think their reporters did a bang up job on the scene. It was when the stuff got back to the studio that it went South, as they say.
As for criminal activity in the Dome. The interview I saw on that was from N.O. SWAT officer describing how they would respond when different gangs shot at each other in the dark.
As for Criminal activity in the Convention Center I remember an expostfacto interview with a MD who had been there, that walked the reporter through the Convention Center recalling what went on.
As for "sniping", it is damn hard to know if someone is shooting at you unless the bullets are too too close. One or two actual snipping events would spaw dozens of reports. Good guys often shoot at each other or "ghost". Could have been a lot of that going on.

Were there rumours, bad reporting, exagerations? Yes, but they got it correct far more than they got it wrong.

Blaming the messenger is an old old sport. Not even Walter Cronkite could have gotten this one right on the first try. Hell, I don't even like news people why the devil am I coming to their defense.
 
!!

I feel unloved. :-(

ER
 
One more thing ER. Re your comments. I don't think Brown has been maligned, I think he has been exposed. And once again I make the point that I don't care what the Mayor of N.O. and the Govenor of Lousiana did. I don't live there. But when FEMA falls apart and could put me and mine in possible harms way, that bothers me. That, I want fixed.
 
You feel unloved? Get a cat.
 
Dr Lobojo,

Next time a Category 5 hurricane is bearing down on you and yours, you better not be counting on FEMA, the National Guard or the Chinese army to keep you out of harm's way. You need to heed evacuation orders -- and you need expect your mayor to give it before Sunday night when it's coming ashore on Monday.
 
Well, I think Brown has been exposed, as well as maligned, which means badmouthed. Some people do deserve the badmouthin' they get.

And the cat is in faux attack mode all the time!

--ER
 
My opinion about Brownie is, They asked him what happened, and he told them.

He wasn't passing the buck, he wasn't spinning things, he was simply answering questions with his own answers, from his own point of view.

And the thing that I find annoying about people posting as "Anonymous" is that you never know who you are arguing with.
I followed ER's link from my comments page to his blog, and now I know his personality, and beliefs, and I don't have to hate him because we disagree.

Posting as "Anonymous" robs me of the opportunity to know you, and because of that, I am much more likely to dismiss you as an idiot, than to actually consider your point. I have no context to put your comment into.
 
tugboatcapn actually says little, as well.

As the famous cartoon from early WWW days proclaims: "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog!"
 
Yeah, but at least we all know who said it.
 
We can all tell if you're a Chicken...
 
Dear Anon posted at 3:31 PM,

Reading comprehension classes are available at many adult education facilities across America. They are generally free and very useful.
They add greatly to the understanding and general gratification of those who avail themselves of their offerings.
 
The thing about using "Anonymous" is that there are any number of anonymous-es and we can't tell them apart. By using a pseudonymn, like Drlobojo, ER, Tugboat, etc.., we remain incognito, but identifiable within the context of this blog and or the net. Most of us using 'incognito nomes de plummer' are just playing along in our little dream castles in the air. I fear that some of the anon lurkers have actually gone on up to live in their castle is in the air permanantly and are snipeing from up there in what they consider perfect saftey. Come on down people, take on a name and play the game. After all it is only a game. An ego game but a game.
 
What annoys me about the media in general is they only show one side. And it's always the liberal side.
 
duh me not no how to git a name} me to dubm 2 bee hear
i should right as anomynous like drlobojo and sea what peeple think
then say the blog eat my name
 
Patriot, try again. Surely, you don't think there are only two sides!

--ER
 
Just sit back and watch these congressmen and senators during these "investigations"(or any investigation or hearing for that matter) make their degrading sound bites and ridicule all who come before them.
Our elected voices are the ones that turn my stomach. They spend money because they are cowards and can't say no to pork. They have not taken responsibility for passing an energy plan. Afraid to cut spending or raise taxes on both sides of the aisle. No the ones we have elected that is our the national tragedy.

All those on the front line of trying to take care of this hurricane mess, FEMA,governors,mayors,police chiefs,policemen,etc, are called to come before these ego driven windbags to get scolded for mistakes they have made. I say bullcrap!
No the people who messed up have enough going on in their lives trying to make things right while still serving. For Gods sake why do we have to these people going through this at this time, can't it wait?

These windbags need to let us line up in front of them with our chairs and desks three foot higher than theirs and give an account to their folly for the last 35 years.

We need to go back to four months of lawmaking each year and get these guys out of town and back to the workplace where they ought to be, so they can have some common sense to legislate justly.
 
Well, heck, Drlobojo. I think you got yourself at least 2 names on here, because you sound a lot like that former poster who is making himself scarce, knowwhatImean?
 
This is "out of hand"! (Name the brat pack flick).

Drlobojo is not Nick Toper. I know this for a fact. And, they are even farther apart on issues than ol' ER and Nick Toper are.

--ER
 
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