China Quake

[Fairweather Pure]

I was listening to the BBC yesterday, and the reporter started to cry as she was describing parents walking down a row of dead children trying to identify the bodies. This particualr reporter was in China covering, like a fucking spelling bee or some shit. Because she was there during the quake, and it seems she was recruited as a front line reporter.

Anyway, I thought it was odd to hear an actual human emotion come from a reporter instead of the cold, emotionless newscasting that we are used to. I've often wondered how reporters can just stand there and report in front of widescale disasters like that. Don't get me wrong, I don't want every reporter crying on TV, but it would be nice to imagine they give actually two shits about the tragedies they are surrounded by.

Hearing that emotion yesterday just made me realize how often we don't hear it.

[Midnyte_Ragebringer]

I was listening to the BBC yesterday, and the reporter started to cry as she was describing parents walking down a row of dead children trying to identify the bodies. This particualr reporter was in China covering, like a fucking spelling bee or some shit. Because she was there during the quake, and it seems she was recruited as a front line reporter.

Anyway, I thought it was odd to hear an actual human emotion come from a reporter instead of the cold, emotionless newscasting that we are used to. I've often wondered how reporters can just stand there and report in front of widescale disasters like that. Don't get me wrong, I don't want every reporter crying on TV, but it would be nice to imagine they give actually two shits about the tragedies they are surrounded by.

Hearing that emotion yesterday just made me realize how often we don't hear it.

You can thank political correctness for that. I too long for truth in broadcasting.

[Aslanna]

First step: Stop watching Fox News.

[Xatrei]

This isn't unheard of, although perhaps it's a bit too rare. It's a lot easier for a reporter to remain composed on camera when dealing with smaller scale news events, but you see it pretty frequently when the scale of a disaster is so large. There were plenty of reporters that broke down while covering the Tsunami in December of 2004, the aftermath of Katrina, the 911 attacks in NYC or even in the coverage of the shootings at Virginia Tech. Their job is to try to deliver news in as dispassionate a manner as possible, but ultimately they're just like you or me. Occasionally the emotion can't be restrained in the face of such tragedy.

It's really heart wrenching to watch some of the video coming out of China, particularly of the collapsed school buildings.

[Midnyte_Ragebringer]

First step: Stop watching Fox News.

That's as delusional as me telling you to stop watching CNN. Come to center a bit. FYI, I don't watch Fox News. I watch Imus in the Morning, read the VV, and Drudge Report for my little snipets of what people think are important goings on in the world on a daily basis.