Volcanoes, Earthquakes, Hurricanes; Do We Entertain Ourselves With The Calamity of Others?

[JimBowie1958]

I know I am getting tired of it, of feeling awful for helpless people. Not that I wont help them as much as I can, but it seems as if the networks are using these stories as titilating entertainment and it is disgusting to me.

The people of Puerto Rico are real human beings, as are the people in Mexico and we seem to be conditioning ourselves to think of them like characters in a movie, Red Shirts, meant to die for our amusement.

I am just sick of all of it.

Reporting on these stories should be more matter of fact and less live video that puts crying mothers and children in front of a damned camera.

 

[irosie91]

jim------I think that your response is kinda singular-------I do not believe that people in the TV industry
like to present tragedy like a circus------we are not romans

 

[usmbguest5318]

There appears to me as well to be a good deal of "sensationalism sells" in the nature and extent of natural disaster coverage. After all, about natural disasters, what do people who, after such an event, have access to telecommunicated information need to know?

• The event happened.
• XYZ are the immediate physical impacts (life, health, business/economic, infrastructure, property, etc.) of the event.
• "Such and such" is what one can do to help.
• "Such and such" is what one must do to obtain information about specific individuals who are present in where phenomenon struck.

I don't have a problem with that being broadcast three or four times an hour to make sure that everyone who needs to know those things sees/hears the info. Otherwise, IMO, there's really not a lot else to say. As for the rest of what might be of some interest, well, the Weather, Science, History and Discovery channels can handle it just fine.

 

[usmbguest5318]

jim------I think that your response is kinda singular-------I do not believe that people in the TV industry
like to present tragedy like a circus------we are not romans

I doubt television industry execs, producers, directors, anchors, reporters, etc. enjoy or intend to depict such events like an extravaganza. Be that as it may, observing how they in fact cover such events, it does all seem rather raree-show-ish. It's all very "look at this...ooh, here, look at that now....oh, let's look at this again...."

 

[irosie91]

jim------I think that your response is kinda singular-------I do not believe that people in the TV industry
like to present tragedy like a circus------we are not romans

I doubt television industry execs, producers, directors, anchors, reporters, etc. enjoy or intend to depict such events like an extravaganza. Be that as it may, observing how they in fact cover such events, it does all seem rather raree-show-ish. It's all very "look at this...ooh, here, look at that now....oh, let's look at this again...."

matter of opinion. People who HAVE people in those stricken areas WOULD WANT to see how things look ----rather than just
hear a few dry descriptions

 

[usmbguest5318]

jim------I think that your response is kinda singular-------I do not believe that people in the TV industry
like to present tragedy like a circus------we are not romans

I doubt television industry execs, producers, directors, anchors, reporters, etc. enjoy or intend to depict such events like an extravaganza. Be that as it may, observing how they in fact cover such events, it does all seem rather raree-show-ish. It's all very "look at this...ooh, here, look at that now....oh, let's look at this again...."

matter of opinion. People who HAVE people in those stricken areas WOULD WANT to see how things look ----rather than just hear a few dry descriptions

What does that have to do with the comment to which it is a response, this...

I doubt television industry execs, producers, directors, anchors, reporters, etc. enjoy or intend to depict such events like an extravaganza. Be that as it may, observing how they in fact cover such events, it does all seem rather raree-show-ish. It's all very "look at this...ooh, here, look at that now....oh, let's look at this again...."

I didn't suggest there not be video of the affected localities. What I suggested is that coverage need not present the situation as though it's an extravaganza.
`

 

[irosie91]

jim------I think that your response is kinda singular-------I do not believe that people in the TV industry
like to present tragedy like a circus------we are not romans

I doubt television industry execs, producers, directors, anchors, reporters, etc. enjoy or intend to depict such events like an extravaganza. Be that as it may, observing how they in fact cover such events, it does all seem rather raree-show-ish. It's all very "look at this...ooh, here, look at that now....oh, let's look at this again...."

matter of opinion. People who HAVE people in those stricken areas WOULD WANT to see how things look ----rather than just hear a few dry descriptions

What does that have to do with the comment to which it is a response, this...

I doubt television industry execs, producers, directors, anchors, reporters, etc. enjoy or intend to depict such events like an extravaganza. Be that as it may, observing how they in fact cover such events, it does all seem rather raree-show-ish. It's all very "look at this...ooh, here, look at that now....oh, let's look at this again...."

I didn't suggest there not be video of the affected localities. What I suggested is that coverage need not present the situation as though it's an extravaganza.
`

also a matter of opinion------I do not think that they do------

 

[Eloy]

I understand American Fundamentalist Christians see the hand of their god in climatic events.

 

[irosie91]

I understand American Fundamentalist Christians see the hand of their god in climatic events.

people all around the world see divine MANIPULATION of the cosmos-------name a religion that does not attribute
dramatic cosmic events to its "god"

 

[baileyn45]

An old adage, "if it bleeds it leads". The media have been sensationalist forever.

 

[JOSweetHeart]

I don't know about everyone else here, but it isn't something that I go out of my way to sit down and watch on my TV.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

 

[baileyn45]

I don't know about everyone else here, but it isn't something that I go out of my way to sit down and watch on my TV.

God bless you always!!!

Holly

I have to admit watching some of this stuff on youtube is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me. It always amuses me when they have a kernel of truth and then go bonkers. The only bothersome part is reading some of the comments and realizing that there are people that truly believe the nonsense.

 

[JimBowie1958]

An old adage, "if it bleeds it leads". The media have been sensationalist forever.

But in a new world of 24/7 news coverage that is packaged as entertianment it can be boorish and insensitive.

These are real people, not characters in a fucking movie.

 

[baileyn45]

An old adage, "if it bleeds it leads". The media have been sensationalist forever.

But in a new world of 24/7 news coverage that is packaged as entertianment it can be boorish and insensitive.

These are real people, not characters in a fucking movie.

Agreed. It certainly has risen to new heights. It seems to me that in the past the coverage had more of an informative slant namely "there are people hurting and in need". Now it's seems to have of a "look at the carnage" feel.