Today I am disgusted by the media coverage of the tsunami in Japan. As soon as there was footage, there was sensationalism. It really seems to me that cars, trucks, and buildings being washed away is plenty sensational, but, no, fear sells even better than sex, so we, the public, must be bombarded with "Is it coming here?" Really, for once, can we please just put somebody who is suffering ahead of our own inflated self-regard? People are suffering and dying; can't we spend a few moments empathizing with them, instead of worrying how it will affect us? That attitude is the epitome of the idiotic, self-obsessed American...Every natural disaster leads to the question, "How could this affect me?" Even during coverage of Katrina, here in the Bay Area, the question the news programs kept asking was, "Could it happen here?" Hello? It WAS happening here. New Orleans is a city in Louisiana, which is a state in the United States. That is "here."
Late last night, we were repeatedly warned that there was a tsunami alert. Never in these alert announcements were we advised what steps to take to ensure our safety. We were simply fed fear without reassurance or practical advice, assuring that we'd keep watching. I did not. In the early morning hours today, news shows were announcing that the tsunami was hitting Hawaii right at that moment. They kept talking about it, without showing live footage, because there was nothing happening. Better to keep producing the fear, stretch the suspense, keep viewers watching, than show them there was nothing to watch, that "we" in the United States weren't going to be affected by the tsunami, except those with friends or family in Japan, or those who actually give a shit about the suffering of their fellow human beings.
My final words to the media today: "Just fuck off. Please."
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