Hurricane Sandy

Whether an event is newsworthy is hardly defined solely by how many people died tragically. In the first place, news is generally produced for a specific audience. Naturally, American media is going to pay more attention to an American disaster -- because its readers, listeners and viewers are Americans. Derrr.....

And how newsworthy an event is also depends on how out of the ordinary it is. As sad as it is when an overloaded bus in India plunges off a road or a crammed train derails, it's hardly earthshaking news; it happens there on a regular basis.

Same thing elsewhere. Famine in North Korea? Why would that be considered big news, when it's been happening off and on for decades?

Here's a minor but valid example: in a lot of places, a summer day over 100 degrees Fahrenheit would be front-page news. But in California's Mojave Desert there's nothing new about it; it happens all summer long, every summer. Front-page news here would be a summer day when it didn't hit a hundred...

 

Believe it or not, everything that occurs in this country isn't driven by a dichotomy between evil liberals and godly, patriotic conservatives.

Tell me: how many subways were flooded in Kentucky? How many homes were swept away there by storm surges? How many neighborhoods lost a hundred homes to a fire, because firefighters couldn't get through the floodwaters to fight it? How many historic boardwalks blew off the beaches of Kentucky, and how many millions of Kentuckians are still without electrical power?

 

Correct...the media is neither good nor bad...it is simply omnipresent and in your face. Both sides are open to special interest...

 

Credit where credit is due.
Hoyte ya got it very close....

The media covers the (weather..) which effects the most...

 

Hmm...Arizona has been in the European media spotlight permanently because of their odd treatment of suspect foreigners. Racial profiling.

 

when chatting up the weather..


Want a media sensation?
Drop some young lad down a mine shaft and spend a week or two trying to pluck him out....
Of course by Hoyts view, we would only bother if the unlucky doffer were a liberal.

 

Michael -- You're missing the point -- that being the U.S. media is a buisness and not a representation of the people. Yes ostrasize some of the media but not the country. In fairness, on boat topics I do find you quite knowledgeable and appreciate any and all help you have supplied there.

 

Gee...

 

String.

 

I'm with Troy. There seems to be a question whether the storm surge of Hurricane Sandy exceeded that of the hurricane of 1821, but either way it's the highest sea level one of the world's largest cities and the adjacent coastline have seen in 191 years. If Bangladesh and Calcutta experienced the highest sea level in 191 years it would be newsworthy. Both the Indian Ocean and the Japanese Tsunamis got quite a bit of attention (not least from me).

 

- true, there's still a lot of them around in the US, and Canada too. I had hardly ever seen them until I left the UK and came to N. America in 1970 - it was quite a surprise. Although they may get damaged by a storm they're easy to inspect and repair, and I suspect the power companies prefer them.

They have been steadily disappearing from down-town cores for decades although my tiny town still has a few left, and I don't think they are permitted in newer developments: they indicate an older community and certainly depress property values. Not even the oldest parts of London where I hail from has above-ground cables - N. America still lags behind Europe in some ways.

 

- good point. The NA media coverage of the Chilean miners' rescue operation in 2010 was superb.

 

The big question i'd be asking is -- exactly at what water level did most of this damage occur. If it occured say at 8 ft. above normal high tide then it could turn out to be a bigger problem than is forseen for the future. An 8 ft. occurance could be more repeditive time wise. No doubt the facts that the east coast of north america is sinking along with rising sea levels is a double wammy. The other big unknown here is the effect of global warming on storm generation. Possibly we've reached the tipping point ? Regardless this is certainly a wake up call and a sad one it is. My heart goes out to the people involved. The clean up is just the beginning of their burdens. Insurance companies will most likely label their land as flood zones, reducing property values while increasing premiums. Something by the way every home owner in Nort America will feel to compensate for insurance payouts for.this disaster. My bet is many will choose not to repair or rebuild in the affected area. I'm not a praying man but those Images are just so sad especially so when compounded with the challenges approaching winter will present.

 

Search for HMS Bounty captain called off.

http://www.wwaytv3.com/2012/11/01/search-suspended-for-missing-hms-bounty-captain

 

I applaud the NY poeple for the way they have shrugged this storm of and got on with life the best they can.

This is exactly the way others far less affluent have done it too I guess humanity weighs up the necessary from the unnecessary and survival and community kicks in.

I wonder and hope If I could be as brave and sensible.