Help Still Needed

For the last month the world has been focused on the worst natural disaster to hit America in years and possibly the worst disaster since September 11^th. This time there was no terror group to blame, no one to point fingers at besides Mother Nature for spawning Hurricane Katrina and Rita and possibly God for pointing both of them at the gulf coast. In the wake of this disaster there have been numerous issues from government mismanagement, to media bias, including displays that show the highs and lows the human race are capable of.

Working in local news much of my Hurricane coverage came from the network news, locally we touched only on the ways the hurricane hit here in Central New York: Interviews with Doctors and Red Cross volunteers heading down or returning, shelters getting set up and donations being packaged, talking with the united way and other local non-profits about donor fatigue and local companies donating.

Today more then a month after the Hurricane hit was the first day my newscast didn’t involve a single story about the Hurricanes or the relief effort. While news continues to develop there, the ninth ward twice submerged once by both storms being visited by former President Clinton, I think the world tires of the story. Here in Central New York and I feel around the country the stories legs have finally taken their last step, and until it begins effecting our wallets and pocketbooks again, this story may finally be dead.

It has been a long time coming, Network reporters slowly pulling out team coverage becoming a solo reporter, followed by just some file video. The media has packed up and moved on.

I have waited to make a donation to the Red Cross –because now is when it is going to be needed most. Now that the media is picking on the President’s choices for the Supreme Court, the vote on the Iraqi constitution, and the rising death toll the media has shown it has moved on – but people there still need help. The water may be gone, but the devastation remains. Just because we stop reporting it doesn’t mean its over. Just because the media has forgotten about it doesn’t mean you should. Fellow Americans still need your help, and they still will once the media has found a new top story.