The first trickle of devastating news came through facebook, links to some still images. Then another link. Turn on the tv, maybe they’ll be on the case. When they did get on the story they showed some of the same things already available online, some grade school explanations on how earthquakes happen, and some “exclusive YouTube videos” which was kinda sad. Everyone has exclusive YouTube video access.
The feeds from NHK that were being rebroadcast were gripping, watching live as homes were swept away in a torrent of debris heading towards roads with moving cars. Tragedy as it happens. Were those people safe? Is there a Tsunami headed to Tokyo? Lots of concern and questions: screw work I’m going to stay up late and see it as it happens.
All of a sudden the “major” networks end the coverage of a major natural disaster and pull out their nightly jokers, cuz we gotta have that daily dose of sexual innuendo and frat boy humor. Incredibly, Fox 11 kept with the coverage until 2am it seems. (H/T LA Observed) But I still hate Fox News.
The worst culprits and winners of the Culero of the Week award goes to ABC 7. A few minutes into their minimal coverage of the Japanese Earthquake they cut it with “Breaking News” of some raid on the home of Charlie Sheen. Are you serious? Did you all see that? I almost threw my chancla at the TV.
Today they tried to make up for that indiscretion by sending out TWO media vans to Little Tokyo.
Too late fools.
That is sad, next time I too will use my chanlkas to throw at the news producers!
You know, a lot of people were offended by Gilbert Gottfried’s tasteless jokes about the tragedy.
I don’t know about you, but I am more offended by the US media over this tragedy. Watching Fox News (not Fox 11), I get the feeling that Megan Kelley was just going, “Oh, look at this. Lookit this! Lookit all the wreckage! Gather ’round people! Check out all this wreckage omigod!!!”
We have a habit of making everything about us. I was watching KTLA and they had cameras pointed at the water in Newport Beach for two hours. It was disgusting to see these brain dead reporters worried about a little surge when Japanese American viewers with ties to Japan could have used information about what was going on in MOTHER FUCKING JAPAN.
Then all the newspapers and blogs are asking, “Could an earthquake destroy San Onofre?” Well, maybe, but way to sensationalize things you bastards. Maybe research the difference between subduction zones and transverse faults and figure out that an 8.9 is not likely in Southern California before scaring everybody.
And then you have people spreading hysteria about the nuclear fallout spreading to California. KABC was asking listeners, and I’m not making this shit up, if they were going to evacuate California because of this.
But few people see a problem with this. They want Gilbert Gottfried fired.
TV news is for idiots.
The best thing I saw was the flashing map showing where the tsunami would hit the shores. That told a lot more than most of the reporters.
What would have been useful for me would have been translations of quake reports. There were quakes all over (and still are quakes), and some people have family there. Not just J-As but a lot of Americans are in Japan doing whatever. Working or whatever.
And knowing they got hit by, say, a 5.0 quake, would be useful info. You can figure 5.0 and they’re probably okay. 6.0 and there’s risk. 7.0 and there’s danger.
The worst is the phony outrage over 50 Cent. He didn’t make fun of Japan or Japanese people. He made fun of white people and “hoes”, and merely used the tsunami as a backdrop. You just don’t make fun of white people and hoes in America these days, not with the popularity of Jersey Shore.