I think there is an additional problem in the way the media covers tragedies, disasters, and crises. After the initial barrage, it turns to something new and people welcome it, because they are burned out and desensitized by the coverage. Do you remember the huge earthquake in San Francisco several years ago? It was a catastrophe, but after the first week or two, you heard very little about it. I often wondered how recovery was going, how the people who were affected were doing, but there was no follow up. The same is happening here in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. I am listening to hammering. One of my neighbors is finally getting their roof replaced. The storm happened six months ago. There are still plenty of people in my neighborhood who are waiting for roofers. There are so many who are far worse off than us, but the coverage has backed off. People are suffering here, but the media doesn't see the need to follow up. It has moved on.
The media needs to learn when to back off and when to follow up. It needs to learn to pace itself, to present new information as it comes available and to balance its coverage. Currently, Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry" still holds true.
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